Chef
A fast-paced career for food lovers.
Job opportunities
–
Jobs on SEEK right now
Job growth
–
Projected job growth in 5 years
Salary
-
Typical salary
Job satisfaction
-
What's it like to be a Chef?
A Chef is a professional cook, trained in all aspects of food preparation. They generally work in commercial kitchens; these can take on a wide variety of forms, from fine dining restaurants, to cafés, to foodtrucks. Many Chefs focus on a specific cuisine, while others choose to specialise in certain aspects of cooking, like baking or pastry making.
Salary lookup
What can I earn as a Chef?
Find out the average salary for a Chef across Australia
Latest Chef jobs on SEEK
Be one of the first to discover these recently listed jobs, or browse all Chef jobs on SEEK right now.
All
NSW
VIC
WA
QLD
TAS
SA
NT
ACT
How to become a Chef
You don’t need a qualification to become a Chef, but it’s common for Chefs to complete an apprenticeship and gain a vocational qualification such as a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery (SIT30821).
- Complete an apprenticeship as part of a VET course that matches your cooking interests. This could be a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery (SIT30821), Certificate III in Patisserie (SIT31021) or Certificate III in Bread Baking (FBP30421).
- After becoming a qualified Chef, advance your cooking skills with further kitchen experience.
- Consider further study to progress your career or specialise in a style of cooking. For example, a Certificate IV in Commercial Cookery (SIT40516) can prepare you for leadership roles in a kitchen.
Explore related qualifications
SEEK users who have worked as a Chef have studied these qualifications.
All
NSW
VIC
WA
QLD
TAS
SA
NT
ACT
Certificate III in Commercial Cookery
This certificate gives you the skills to prepare food and menu items and may provide a pathway into roles in cafes and restaurants.
Certificate IV in Commercial Cookery
This qualification provides the skills to prepare for a supervisory or team leader role within a commercial kitchen.
Certificate III in Patisserie
This qualification provides the skills needed to produce patisserie products and prepare for a role as a pastry chef.
Skills and experience employers are looking for
Hi there, have any of these? Add your skills directly to your SEEK Profile.
Hi there, have any of these? Add your skills directly to your SEEK Profile.
Skills listed in your SEEK Profile
Based on your skills, here are some roles to explore
Did you find this helpful?


Source: SEEK job ads and SEEK Profile data
Upskill with an online short course
Get instant access to online training for these in-demand Chef skills
Is Chef the right role for me?
Working hours for Chefs
Overtime
Weekends
Shift work
Late nights
Often
Sometimes
Never
Job market trends for Chefs
All
NSW
VIC
WA
QLD
TAS
SA
NT
ACT
Source: SEEK job ads and SEEK Role Reviews
Latest Chef reviews
Latest reviews from 122 Chefs surveyed on SEEK
All
Positive
Negative
Chef job is a great art.
Reviewer's Qualification
Bachelor of Hospitality
Experience
10+ years
Organisation size
Medium (20-199 employees)
Specialisation
Chef
The good things
Why I want to be a Chef
There are multiple reasons to be a chef for me and the very first one is I just love cooking. I know it is quite common to cook but I just love it and it keeps me happy. One s...
The challenges
Of course the passion for food and the teaching of others does allow the chef to cook, but not at the same level as those who work the line every day. To reach the pinnacle of a cook’s career and beco...
Read more
Your food will bring happy moments in people life
Reviewer's Qualification
Diploma of Hospitality Management
Experience
10+ years
Organisation size
Large (200+ employees)
Specialisation
General
The good things
You bring smile and happiness in people life weather you work in cafe or restaurant, events centre or hotels, aged care or hospitals. You also get happiness, when you customer appreciate you with good...
The challenges
Long hours of work at certain kind of hospitality industry which might effect your personal life.
Less awareness in seniors to bring this industry as respected as other industry.
Read more
Source: SEEK Role Reviews
Explore similar careers
Source: SEEK job ads and SEEK Profile data