Chef Resume Example & Guide (2026)
Designs and executes menus and runs the kitchen across line, sous, head or executive levels.
Chef resumes are part credibility (where you've worked), part numbers (covers/night, kitchen size, food cost %, labor %). Lead with venue exposure and discipline (modern American, French fine dining, banquet) and follow with measurable operational outcomes.
Chef professional summary example
Sous chef with 6 years across modern American and French fine dining. Currently #2 in a 90-cover Michelin Bib Gourmand kitchen; manages 8-person line, food cost 27%.
Strong resume bullets for a Chef
- Sous chef at 90-cover Bib Gourmand kitchen — service 60-120 covers/night, 8-person line, $14K avg weekly food spend.
- Held food cost at 27% (target 30%) and labor 22% (target 24%) for 14 consecutive months.
- Co-developed 2024 spring menu (12 dishes) — covered in Eater, raised average check $14 (+22%).
- Hired and trained 6 line cooks; turnover dropped from 9 to 3 in 12 months (concept benchmark 14).
- Passed health inspection at 98/100 across 4 inspections; led HACCP refresh adopted across the restaurant group's 3 properties.
What employers expect from a Chef
- Menu planning and recipe development (84% of job ads)
- Service execution and station setup (96% of job ads)
- Cost control (food and labor) (78% of job ads)
- Team hiring and training (84% of job ads)
- Vendor and produce sourcing (64% of job ads)
Hard & soft skills recruiters look for
Hard skills
- Knife skills
- HACCP
- Recipe costing
- Inventory (par / 86 lists)
- Kitchen line management
- Pastry / butchery (where relevant)
Soft skills
- Calm under fire
- Mentorship
- Cross-FOH collaboration
- Schedule discipline
Certifications that help
- ServSafe Manager
- HACCP
- Culinary school (CIA / Le Cordon Bleu / ICC)
ATS keywords for Chef roles
Include these terms verbatim (where honestly true) so applicant tracking systems match your resume to Chef job descriptions.
- chef
- sous chef
- head chef
- ServSafe
- HACCP
- food cost
- menu development
- fine dining
Chef salary snapshot
By experience level
| Level | US | UK | EU |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior (Line / 0-2 years) | US $38,000–$52,000 | UK £22,000–£30,000 | EU €24,000–€32,000 |
| Mid (Sous / 3-7 years) | US $55,000–$80,000 | UK £32,000–£48,000 | EU €34,000–€50,000 |
| Senior (Head / Executive) | US $85,000–$170,000 | UK £50,000–£95,000 | EU €55,000–€100,000 |
By city
| City | Median range |
|---|---|
| New York, US | USD 78,000–165,000 |
| Los Angeles, US | USD 72,000–155,000 |
| London, UK | GBP 52,000–95,000 |
| Paris, EU | EUR 48,000–90,000 |
Source: BLS OEWS, ACF, James Beard 2024 industry pay survey.
Common Chef resume mistakes
- Resume that's all 'cooked', 'prepared' — recruiters need to see numbers (covers, food cost, labor).
- Missing kitchen size / line size.
- No venue type (concept, cuisine, daypart).
- Skipping ServSafe Manager / HACCP.
Job outlook
Strong demand for sous and head chef level; talent shortage in mid-market post-2020. Fine dining and hotel restaurant segments leading.
FAQ
How many jobs to list?
Last 4-6 properties in the last 10 years. Stages can go in a separate 'Stages' line for top venues.
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