Best Culinary & Pastry Schools in New Orleans, Louisiana (2026)

Quick answer: Culinary professionals in Louisiana earn a median of $45,570 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited culinary professional schools near New Orleans, Louisiana with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

Comparing culinary professional schools in New Orleans, Louisiana starts with the local labor market and the credentials each program offers. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $45,570 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

New Orleans Quick Facts

MetricValueSource
State median annual wage$45,570BLS OEWS, May 2025
Louisiana pay range (10th to 90th percentile)$32,320 to $86,750BLS OEWS, May 2025
New Orleans, LA metro median wage$46,400BLS OEWS, May 2025
National job outlook (2024 to 2034)+7.1% growth, about 24,400 openings per yearBLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
State employment1,990 workersBLS OEWS, May 2025
Orleans County establishments720BLS QCEW, 2024
Orleans County industry employment14,000BLS QCEW, 2024
Orleans County unemployment rate4.9%BLS LAUS, 2024
Louisiana location quotient0.80BLS OEWS, May 2025

Nearby Cities

Explore the Culinary professional Career

What You’ll Find Below

The school listings below are sorted by proximity to New Orleans. Each entry includes the school name, address, and the credentials offered. Use the Orleans County and Louisiana figures above as a reference point when comparing program length, schedule, and tuition.


Culinary & Pastry Schools near New Orleans

#1

Nunez Community College

Chalmette, LA 8.1 miles away
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 22.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 39
  • Annual completions: 930
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing: $48,555 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Delgado Community College

New Orleans, LA 11.9 miles away
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 22.9% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 82
  • Annual completions: 2330
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing: $48,141 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Nicholls State University

Thibodaux, LA 55.8 miles away
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 54.0% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 7
  • Annual completions: 159
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing: $51,767 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Culinary And Pastry Salary Snapshot

U.S.
U.S. Median Pay $40,078 $19.27 per hour
Job Outlook 12.9% 245,100 jobs (2024–2034)
315,000 openings/yr

Culinary-And-Pastry Salary in U.S.

Median Salary $40,078 $19.27/hr
Average Salary $41,729 $20.06/hr

Salary Range

$37,900 10th pctl
$40,078 Median
$98,560 90th pctl
10th Percentile $37,900 $18.22/hr
25th Percentile $48,440 $23.29/hr
75th Percentile $78,750 $37.86/hr
90th Percentile $98,560 $47.39/hr

Employment & Outlook

Total Employed1,846,130
Growth (2024-2034)12.9%
Annual Openings315,000
Jobs per 1,0001.3

Chefs and Head Cooks (35-1011) • BLS OEWS, May 2025 • bls.gov/oes

Next Steps


About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade career guide using BLS, DOL, and state licensing data. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.