Missouri can be an excellent state for culinary students and new chefs. With over six million residents, there are many people looking for a delicious meal. Many local residents live in or near the state’s largest cities, including Kansas City, St. Louis, and Springfield. Among Missouri’s finest restaurants are Sybill’s St. James, the Pilot House, and Bistro Saffron.
The cost of living in Missouri is 9% lower than the national average, which makes it affordable to live even in Missouri’s urban centers. There are many tourist attractions in Missouri, providing you with the opportunity to serve a variety of customers.
If you choose to study the culinary arts in Missouri, there are 19 schools you can choose to attend. While many of them are located around Missouri’s urban centers, there are many located in rural and suburban areas. The average cost of tuition is $6,603, which is already very low. However, when you add in an average scholarship award of $3,574, attending school in Missouri can be even more affordable. One of the best parts of attending school in Missouri is its small average class size—the average class in Missouri has only 14 students.
Before you start your classes, you have to decide whether you want to earn a certificate or Associate’s degree. Some schools offer one or the other, but most schools offer both. You should be able to complete a certificate in one year or less, and you should plan on two years of full-time study to earn an Associate’s degree.
In the first part of your culinary program, you can plan on learning basic kitchen skills that you will use throughout your whole career. This includes how to prepare different proteins, the prep work needed for a smooth dinner service, and how to take orders in a kitchen.
As you progress through your culinary program, you can plan on learning more advanced skills that you may need as an executive chef or sous chef. You may learn how to plan menus, pair foods, and create visually appealing meals.
There are a variety of employment options for you after you complete your culinary arts program. The majority of your career prospects will likely be in restaurants, since the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that 46% of chefs work in restaurants. Many chefs also either work in hotels, catering companies, or private homes. If you want to be self-employed, there are many options you can consider. Many self-employed chefs either open their own restaurant, start a catering company, or work as a private chef.
There are many prominent culinary employers in Missouri, including Elite Cuisine, Patrice and Associates, and Landry’s Restaurants.
After you complete your culinary program, you don’t have to worry about getting licensed or certified before you can begin working. This is because Missouri currently has no licensing requirements for chefs and cooks. While certification is not necessary, it can be helpful in finding a job. You may want to pursue American Culinary Federation certification, since it can demonstrate a subset of your skills to employers.
As a chef, you should know that your salary is influenced by myriad factors, including experience and seniority. In fact, these two factors are probably the two biggest factors in deciding your salary. In the kitchen, executive chefs tend to earn the most money. They are followed by sous chefs and line chefs.
Restaurant cooks in Missouri earn an average salary of $21,100 per year (O*Net, 2012). The average salary for a chef in Missouri is $41,000 per year (O*Net, 2012).
In general, the job outlook for culinary professionals in Missouri mirrors the job outlook across the country. Restaurant cooks can anticipate a 6% increase in job openings between 2010 and 2020 (O*Net, 2010). However, the demand for chefs is not expected to change very much in that same time frame (O*Net, 2010).