How to become a Chef
Official title: Chef (excluding pastry chef)
Also called: Assistant head chef, Chef de cuisine, Executive chef, Head chef, Sous chef, Assistant Head Chef (Assistant Outlet Chef/ Sous Chef/ Junior Sous Chef), Executive Sous Chef, Head Chef (Outlet Chef/ Chef de Cuisine), Assistant head chef, Chef de cuisine, Executive chef
Chef (excluding pastry chef) oversees all the production of food served at the restaurant, banquet functions, and other outlets. He/she develops recipes and menus, monitors food quality and presentation, estimates food and labour costs, while maintaining the highest quality and sanitation standards. He/she may also monitor and control stock levels and liaise with the relevant suppliers for food orders. He/she supervises cooks and other workers engaged in food preparation and enforces proper implementation of health and safety procedures in the kitchen. He/she may prepare, season and cook speciality foods and complex dishes.
Main tasks
- Planning and developing recipes and menus, estimating food and labour costs, and ordering food supplies
- Monitoring quality of dishes at all stages of preparation and presentation
- Discussing food preparation issues with managers, dietitians, kitchen and waiting staff
- Supervising and coordinating the activities of cooks and other workers engaged in food preparation
- Inspecting supplies, equipment, and work areas to ensure conformance to established standards
- Determining how food should be presented, and creating decorative food displays
- Instructing cooks and other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, and presentation of food
- Participating in the recruitment of kitchen staff and monitoring their performance
Ways in
- Apprenticeship: Work-study diploma. Related ITE work-study diplomas: Work-Study Diploma in Culinary Arts & Management. You are employed by a company and study at ITE at the same time. Peernovo matched these from course names.
- Polytechnic or ITE: ITE course (Nitec or Higher Nitec). Related ITE courses: Higher Nitec in Culinary Arts. Peernovo matched these from course names; ITE does not publish which jobs each course leads to.; Polytechnic diploma. Related diplomas: Diploma in Culinary & Catering Management (Temasek Polytechnic); Diploma in Restaurant & Culinary Management (Republic Polytechnic). Peernovo matched these from course names; polytechnics do not publish which jobs each course leads to.
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: $46,200 a year. The middle half earn $37,260 to $58,200 a year.
- Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Related jobs
- Kitchen operations head/supervisor
- Pastry chef
- Photographer
- Interior designer
- Decorator
- Visual merchandiser
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Chef?
Ways in include: ITE course (Nitec or Higher Nitec); Polytechnic diploma; Work-study diploma.
How much does a Chef earn in Singapore?
Median full-time pay is $46,200 a year (Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg)). The middle half earn $37,260 to $58,200.
Will AI change the work of a Chef?
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Sources
- Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg): Resident Occupational Wages (Occupational Wage Survey) (June 2024 (data.gov.sg update 2026-04-01)), Singapore Open Data Licence v1.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
- International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Updated 4 October 2026