This is fine when you’re young and your body is able to withstand the grind. With rents in the area averaging close to $2,000 a month, it’s easy to see why cooks work long hours, work two jobs, and seek as many overtime hours as possible. Many of the cooks I’ve worked with are students by day, and some have second jobs.Ĭook jobs in Orange County pay around $12 to $16 an hour. You can work around school, family events, and even a second job. If you’re fortunate, as I have been, and work for a reasonable head chef who is willing to work with you and respect your needs, you can ask for time off. They know burnout is common in the industry, so they will try to keep their cooks happy, when possible. Kitchens are run by human beings who have families and personal lives, much like you do. It’s tough work with long hours, but there is a silver lining. So if you’re scheduled to work six eight-hour shifts, then work an additional overtime hour or two every night, you can see how you could approach 50 hours a week. This may entail covering for a late or absent co-worker, finishing a recipe or task that you’re working on, dealing with an unexpected rush of diners at the end of your shift, waiting for the dining room to clear out or - most likely - you need to stay and clean up. Many times, as kitchen needs arise, cooks are expected to stay later - until the job gets done. And weekends are work days in most kitchens. In my experience, as a new cook who has worked in three professional kitchens, cooks are typically scheduled for an eight-hour work day five or six days a week. It’s not meant to scare off aspiring chefs, but as a reality check. And for them, the hours could get up into the 120s.įor someone new to the industry, you’re going to hear this repeated over and over. For executive chefs, the role requires hours of paperwork, budget planning, inventory and scheduling. The work is sometimes brutal, standing over a hot stove, chopping vegetables or stocking shelves in a cold freezer. I’ll also offer my own experiences as a first-year prep cook, fresh out of culinary school: At A Glance: The Work Environment of a Chef In this report, we examine the work hours and reasons for the long hours of a cook, chef and executive chef, and compare it to other industries. No matter the level you are at in the kitchen, you can expect to work a minimum of 50 hours a week. How about a chef? What about an executive chef?Īs a guide, the standard chef position demands 50-plus hours a week, including nights, weekends and holidays.įor a chef job in a restaurant, expect to work 7 days a week for 12 to 14 hours each shift.Īnd that’s pretty much the industry standard. When you’re starting out as a cook or a culinary student, one of the first things you may want to know is what sort of hours will be expected of you when you begin working in a professional kitchen.

Chef chen hours