Despite a less than solid economy, the food industry still remains a strong and viable source of employment with great potential for perpetual growth. This can be attributed to a variety of factors. One major contributor is the fact that consumers, Americans specifically, are experiencing a decline in the amount of free time needed to shop for and prepare food at home. All the while, the need for food as a basic sustainer of life will always remain a constant. Not only will there always be high demand for people to prepare and serve food on a basic and time-efficient level, but (thanks in part to our shrinking attention spans) there will also be a demand for innovative specialists who can remain on the cutting edge of food creation and service. This underscores the importance of a good cooking education.

Let us examine some recent trends in the food industry and also gain a sense of its possible future.

In 2002, food workers held 3 million jobs in the U.S.
Here's is an estimation of how these jobs were broken down by specialty:

Food Preparation........................................................850,000 - 28%
Restaurant Cooks.......................................................727,000 - 24%
Fast Food Cooks........................................................588,000 - 20%
Institution Cooks (cafeterias)........................................436,000 - 14.5%
Short Order Cooks......................................................227,000 - 7.5%
Head Cooks & Chefs...................................................132,000 - 3.5%
Household Chefs (private cooks)......................................8,000 - 2.5%

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Sample of Culinary Specialties
Baker
Bed and Breakfast Owner
Cake Decorator
Casino Chef
Catering Chef
Chef/cooking Instructor
Corporate Research and Development Chef
Executive Chef
Fast Food Manager
Food Merchandiser
Food Preparation Worker
Food Stylist
Fry Cook
Hospital Dining Services Chef
Hotel Chef
Pantry Chef
Pastry Chef
Private Club Chef
Private/Household Chef/Cook
Professional Food Writer/Journalist/Critic
Restaurant Owner
Retirement Community Chef
Short Order Cook

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Training & Education
Most fast-food and short-order positions require very little more than a high schools diploma, if that. Qualifications for success come primarily from on-the-job experience and a passion for food service. However, supplementary vocational programs and short-term courses are recommended for those who want to make low-end/high-volume food service a lifelong career.

Executive Chefs and Top-level Cooks require many years of formal training and job experience. Many attend top culinary institutes or earn 2-4 year culinary arts degrees at colleges and universities.

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Salaries
Food worker salaries vary widely according to geographical region and type of food establishment. Salaries are generally higher in major metropolitan regions and in more elegant restaurants and hotels.

In 2002, the average hourly wage of chefs and top level cooks were $13.43.
The highest 10% earned about $25.86 and the lowest $7.66

The average hourly wage of restaurant cooks in the same year was $9.16. The highest 10% earned $13.21 and the lowest 10% earned $6.58.

Also in 2002, cafeteria and institution food workers earned an average wage of $8.62. Food preparation workers earned $7.85. Short order cooks earned $7.82. Fast food workers earned $6.80.