Chef
Explore your passion for making food and work in commercial kitchens; from fine dining restaurants, to cafés and food trucks.
Explore your passion for making food
Bring your passion for making quality cuisine to the table and relish the chance to bring joy to others' lives through food. Armed with the ability to understand flavours, create recipes from scratch, and run a kitchen, Chefs can take their skills anywhere, from fine dining restaurants to food trucks.
Key stats
A Chef is a professional cook, trained in all aspects of food preparation. Here are some key facts and figures about this career path:
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$1,250
Average weekly salary
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46 hrs
Average hours worked per week
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35 yrs
Average age of people in this career
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Multi-region
Jobs available in metro and rural areas
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~116,300
People employed in this industry
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58%
Of employees are full time
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Above average
Unemployment for this industry
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13.9%
Future growth (next five years)
Stats as of April 2024. Source: LabourMarketInsights.gov.au
Core skills of a Chef
Working as Chef, you’ll be across all aspects of the cooking trade. Some of the core skills of Chefs include:
Planning menus
Consider seasonality, cost, and waste when designing a delicious menu.
Preparing food
Use your knowledge of flavours and different cuisines to cook up a storm in the kitchen.
Ensuring kitchen safety
Adhere to OH&S, hygiene and sanitary standards to keep your kitchen clean and your team safe.
Fast-paced decision making
If you choose to work in a kitchen environment, you'll need to handle pressure, problem-solve, and take initiative.
Start here
Certificate III in Commercial Cookery
On-campus learning or apprenticeship
Once you’ve completed your Certificate III
Certificate IV in Commercial Cookery
You may choose to continue your studies in hospitality management at TAFE or university level.
For more information about studying to become a Chef, get in touch with one of our Course Coordinators. They'll help you understand your study options and match the right course with your goals.
Why choose GOTAFE?
Industry events
Practice running a major event at the annual Dookie Wine Show.
Professional facilities
Perfect your skills in our on campus professional kitchen facilities equipped with the latest tools of the trade.
Real customers
Put your service skills to the test in our on-campus restaurants and cafes.
Explore more career opportunities
Not sure this is the right career path for you? Explore our other careers and find the right fit for you.