Culinary artists, also sometimes known as culinarians, work in a wide variety of environments, all of them focused on the craft of creating beautiful and delicious food. Such professionals include experts like chefs, cooks, restaurant managers, bakers and caterers. Chefs and head cooks are typically charged with the responsibility of making sure that their fellow chefs are cooking quickly and properly, and they lead their culinary environment by their depth of culinary technique, impressive level of creativity, extensive food savvy, and consistent expertise in putting out satisfying and aesthetically pleasing plates.

Traditional kitchens have system of rank imported from the culinary traditions of France. At the top of the heap is the executive chef, or the chef de cuisine; these are the top professionals in the kitchen for whom diners come to the restaurant, and these chefs sometimes even have their own television shows or other celebrity ventures. At the bottom of the ranking are the line cooks and chefs de garde manger, the professionals who actually do the cooking duties. Other positions that center in the culinary world include food writers, food photographers, culinary entrepreneurs, and teachers in the culinary arts.

The educational path for a career in the culinary arts almost always involves culinary school as a training ground in the techniques necessary to get brilliant work done. Food writers, photographers, managers, and entrepreneurs may opt to earn a bachelor's or master's in a relevant field first, and then later proceed to polish their education with courses in culinary school. Yet another pathway into this career field is through experience and learning on the job. This is most effective for those who begin in the culinary field at an early age. The job outlook for careers in the culinary arts naturally varies depending on the particular demands of the position. But chefs and head cooks, to provide an example, will not be experiencing immense growth in terms of the number of available posts in the future.

Career Specializations

• Food Writing: These professionals contribute articles and restaurant reviews for newspapers, magazines, and culinary publications.
• Food Photographers: Culinary publications also enlist a photographer skilled in shooting photographs of food to provide their visuals; websites are also reliant on these professionals. 
• Restaurant Manager: The smoothness of any culinary operation is intrinsically tied to the expertise of the managers in this position.
• Pastry Chefs: These culinary artists specifically work with the creation of desserts and sugary trinkets to complete a meal in high spirits.
• Baker: Preparing bread and some pastries is the trade of these culinary craftsmen, who frequently work for shops they own themselves.
• Caterer: These cooking professionals are enlisted to take care of the food and beverage offerings of specific, often one-off events. 

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Degree Levels

• Associate Degree: 2 years to complete
• Bachelor's Degree: 4 years to complete

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Education & Certification Requirements

Those who are interested in developing a career in the culinary arts should strongly consider earning on-the-job experience or apprenticeships early on, even during their high school years, to start developing an attractive resume. Those who start earning such work early on stand the best chance of forging culinary careers solely via practical training. But the top chefs are increasingly arriving from full-scale culinary programs, and even well-experienced chefs benefit from the refinement and networking connections found in a two- or four-year culinary training process.

Those aiming at a well-rounded and high-impact career as a top chef are advised to enter bachelor's programs in the art form. The best apprenticeships and culinary training programs alike are accredited by the American Culinary Federation. Some of these programs also offer education in writing and photography, but students can also choose to earn undergraduate education from non-culinary schools first and then attend such training afterward. 

After having earned a culinary degree, most students either use their institution's connections to find work, or participate in additional internships or out-placement programs. Those looking to teach culinary arts, or to work in the pastry arts, can find opportunities for certification from the ACF. (BLS)

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Salary Information

Chefs and head cooks working at the bottom of the culinary tier can expect to earn between $20,000 and $30,000 for their first few years of work. Over time, this salary can increase to nearly $40,000, and the top chefs take home more than $65,000 annually. Restaurant managers begin by bringing in less than $30,000 yearly, but this figure progresses to nearly $50,000 per annum with experience, and those at the very top reap $70,000 in a year. In the culinary world, reputation is the most important indicator of potential salary; the industry's opinion of a particular cook, chef, or manager also dictates the type of venue in which they work, and pay typically rises along with the prestige level of the restaurant. (BLS, BLS) 

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Job Outlook

Restaurant managers will unfortunately not enjoy a prognostication of strong growth in employment opportunities into the future. Estimates predict a slow paced increase in the number of jobs of five percent by the year 2018. Cooks and chefs in restaurants can enjoy a slightly more auspicious percentage of increase in demand for their work; also by 2018, they should experience an eight percent increase in hiring possibilities A consensus of those in the know reveals that the best way to capitalize on what growth there will be in this industry is the attaining of an official culinary degree, especially the bachelor's, and the earning of certification when possible. (BLS, BLS) 

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Related Careers

Hospitality management is directly linked to the culinary world. Many schools provide training not solely in food preparation, but also in the professional handling of hotels, resorts, and luxury establishments. Some high schools even offer preparation for those interested in hospitality at an early age. Entrepreneurs interested in opening restaurants and eateries should definitely have training in both the preparation of great food and also in hospitality, which concentrates on making customers feel like honored guests. 

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