Culinary Arts and Related Services: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 12.05. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 1,098 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 602 | 15,883 | $30,130 | $30,572 | $10,320 48 programs |
| Associate's degree | 444 | 8,114 | $34,674 | $39,605 | $14,194 48 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 44 | 451 | $41,017 | $47,668 | $27,000 7 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 5 | 18 | Data unavailable | $49,390 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 2 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids Community College MI · Public · 27 graduates measured | $45,065 | $40,542 | $8,645 |
| CET-San Jose CA · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $43,440 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Montgomery County Community College PA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $41,067 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Institute of Culinary Education NY · Private, for-profit · 599 graduates measured | $40,275 | $46,893 | $6,777 |
| Institute of Culinary Education CA · Private, for-profit · 599 graduates measured | $40,275 | $46,893 | $6,777 |
| Trident Technical College SC · Public · 22 graduates measured | $38,928 | $36,449 | $26,166 |
| Arizona Culinary Institute AZ · Private, for-profit · 158 graduates measured | $38,221 | $44,800 | $9,500 |
| Maysville Community and Technical College KY · Public · 18 graduates measured | $37,926 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Miami Dade College FL · Public · 29 graduates measured | $36,987 | $50,344 | $5,427 |
| Schoolcraft Community College District MI · Public · 23 graduates measured | $36,141 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Culinary Tech Center · Private, for-profit · 64 graduates measured | $35,590 | $34,685 | $6,333 |
| Dallas College TX · Public · 24 graduates measured | $34,965 | $44,490 | $15,703 |
| Niagara County Community College NY · Public · 17 graduates measured | $34,764 | Data unavailable | $12,000 |
| Emily Griffith Technical College CO · Public · 17 graduates measured | $34,348 | $33,862 | Data unavailable |
| YTI Career Institute-York PA · Private, for-profit · 20 graduates measured | $34,152 | $36,929 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leeward Community College HI · Public · 18 graduates measured | $51,380 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Saint Paul College MN · Public · 23 graduates measured | $47,456 | $42,842 | $13,746 |
| Seattle Central College WA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $47,046 | $53,946 | $16,250 |
| Wake Technical Community College NC · Public · 17 graduates measured | $46,577 | $42,564 | Data unavailable |
| Grand Rapids Community College MI · Public · 28 graduates measured | $43,955 | $45,302 | $9,888 |
| Prince George's Community College MD · Public · 22 graduates measured | $43,862 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Joliet Junior College IL · Public · 22 graduates measured | $43,155 | $44,605 | Data unavailable |
| Utah Valley University UT · Public · 20 graduates measured | $42,171 | $41,464 | Data unavailable |
| Miami Dade College FL · Public · 27 graduates measured | $41,073 | $44,371 | Data unavailable |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania PA · Public · 16 graduates measured | $40,218 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Kapiolani Community College HI · Public · 20 graduates measured | $40,197 | $36,663 | Data unavailable |
| Schoolcraft Community College District MI · Public · 27 graduates measured | $39,985 | $37,459 | $9,550 |
| Culinary Institute of America NY · Private, nonprofit · 579 graduates measured | $39,688 | $48,317 | $12,000 |
| Cuyahoga Community College District OH · Public · 20 graduates measured | $39,405 | $40,291 | Data unavailable |
| Cincinnati State Technical and Community College OH · Public · 40 graduates measured | $38,896 | Data unavailable | $20,036 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Culinary Institute of America NY · Private, nonprofit · 65 graduates measured | $48,130 | $61,944 | $26,250 |
| Johnson & Wales University-Providence RI · Private, nonprofit · 225 graduates measured | $45,406 | $55,056 | $27,000 |
| Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte NC · Private, nonprofit · 225 graduates measured | $45,406 | $55,056 | $27,000 |
| Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science NY · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $38,027 | $42,652 | Data unavailable |
| SUNY College of Technology at Delhi NY · Public · 22 graduates measured | $37,680 | $51,716 | $26,000 |
| Walnut Hill College PA · Private, for-profit · 29 graduates measured | $37,008 | $47,308 | $27,000 |
| The Art Institute of Atlanta · Private, for-profit · 18 graduates measured | $34,174 | $38,551 | Data unavailable |
| Nicholls State University LA · Public · 51 graduates measured | $32,721 | $46,969 | $27,000 |
| Mississippi University for Women MS · Public · 19 graduates measured | $30,777 | $42,043 | Data unavailable |
| Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Carolina Campus PR · Private, nonprofit · 48 graduates measured | $22,280 | $32,489 | $14,720 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Culinary Arts and Related Services
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food service managers | $69,390 | +5.8% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Food scientists and technologists | $88,720 | +6.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Postsecondary teachers, all other | $77,640 | +2.0% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Chefs and head cooks | $62,470 | +6.6% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers | $44,080 | +5.4% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria | $37,450 | +2.8% | No formal educational credential |
| Cooks, private household | $47,940 | +5.1% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Cooks, restaurant | $37,390 | +12.1% | No formal educational credential |
| Cooks, all other | $37,690 | +5.2% | No formal educational credential |
| Bartenders | $34,340 | +5.0% | No formal educational credential |
| Bakers | $37,160 | +5.5% | No formal educational credential |
| Butchers and meat cutters | $40,140 | +2.4% | No formal educational credential |
| Slaughterers and meat packers | $40,130 | +2.0% | No formal educational credential |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (12)
- 12.0500 Cooking and Related Culinary Arts, General
- 12.0501 Baking and Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef
- 12.0502 Bartending/Bartender
- 12.0503 Culinary Arts/Chef Training
- 12.0504 Restaurant, Culinary, and Catering Management/Manager
- 12.0505 Food Preparation/Professional Cooking/Kitchen Assistant
- 12.0506 Meat Cutting/Meat Cutter
- 12.0507 Food Service, Waiter/Waitress, and Dining Room Management/Manager
- 12.0508 Institutional Food Workers
- 12.0509 Culinary Science/Culinology
- 12.0510 Wine Steward/Sommelier
- 12.0599 Culinary Arts and Related Services, Other