Chefs perform the duties of planning menus and directing the food preparation methods and supervise cooking activities and also prepare dishes. They can find work in restaurants, hotels, hospitals and other health care institutions, central food commissaries, clubs etc.
Job prospects for chefs in Canada
Chef -NOC 6321
All jobs available in the labour market in Canada are classified as per the National Classification Code (NOC). Each of the occupation groups has a unique NOC code assigned.
In Canada, an individual working in an occupation with NOC 6321 can expect to earn somewhere between CAD 13.30/hour and CAD 25.96/hour.
Median wage per hour- The median or average wage for this profession is CAD 17.98 per hour and the maximum wages for this profession is in the Canadian province of Alberta where the median wage is CAD 19.00 per hour.
| Prevailing Hourly wages for NOC 6321 in Canada | |||
| Low | Median | High | |
| CANADA | 13.30 | 17.98 | 25.96 |
| Province/ Territory | Low | Median | High |
| Alberta | 15.20 | 19.00 | 29.74 |
| British Columbia | 15.20 | 17.31 | 25.25 |
| Manitoba | 11.90 | 14.50 | 26.44 |
| New Brunswick | 11.75 | 16.00 | 24.00 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 12.50 | 16.00 | 25.64 |
| Northwest Territories | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Nova Scotia | 12.95 | 16.12 | 26.44 |
| Nunavut | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Ontario | 14.25 | 17.50 | 25.00 |
| Prince Edward Island | 14.00 | 17.50 | 24.45 |
| Quebec | 13.50 | 18.00 | 25.00 |
| Saskatchewan | 13.00 | 18.50 | 30.47 |
| Yukon | N/A | N/A | N/A |
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Skills/Knowledge required for NOC 6321 in Canada
Generally, the following skills and knowledge will be required for working in Canada as a chef –
| Skills | Service and care | Cooking, preparing, serving |
| Operating and repairing equipment, machinery and vehicles | Operating stationary industrial equipment | |
| Analysis
|
· Analyzing information
· Planning · Projecting outcomes |
|
| Communication
|
· Advising and consulting
· Teaching and training |
|
| Creative expression | Designing | |
| Management
|
· Recruiting and hiring
· Supervising |
|
| Information handling | Processing information | |
| Knowledge | Business, finance and management | · Business administration
· Client service |
| Manufacturing and production | Food production and agriculture | |
| Mathematics and science | Chemistry | |
| Essential skills | · Reading
· Document use · Writing · Numeracy · Oral communication · Thinking · Digital technology |
|
| Other essential skills | · Working with others
· Continuous learning |
|
3-year job prospect-The job prospect in the next three years for this profession is fair in most provinces of Canada.
Future job prospects for NOC 6321 in Canada, by province and territory.
| Job prospects | Location in Canada |
| Good | · British Columbia
· Ontario |
| Fair | · Alberta
· Manitoba · Newfoundland and Labrador · Northwest Territories · Nova Scotia · Prince Edward Island · Quebec · Saskatchewan · Yukon |
| Limited | New Brunswick |
| Undetermined | Nunavut |
10-year predictions
For chefs new job openings over the period between 2019-2028 is expected to be 23,700 while 24,400 new job seekers will be available to fill them.
Job openings and job seekers are expected to be at relatively similar levels over the next few years and the balance between labor supply and demand is expected to continue till 2028.
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school education is required.
- Cook’s trade certification, which is available in all provinces and territories, or equivalent credentials, training and experience, are required.
- Executive chefs should have management training and several years of experience in commercial food preparation.
- Red Seal endorsement for cooks is available to qualified chefs upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
- Qualified chefs should apply for the Chef de cuisine certification, administered by the Canadian Culinary Institute of the Canadian Federation of Chefs and Cooks (CFCC), is available to qualified chefs.
License requirements
Chefs require a certification from a regulatory authority before they start working in Ontario. The details are as per the table below:
| Location | Job title | Regulation | Regulatory body |
| Ontario | Chef | Regulated | Ontario College of Trades |
All Job Titles available under NOC 6321: Chefs
- Assistant chef
- Banquet chef
- Chef
- Chef de cuisine
- Chef de partie
- Chef pâtissier
- Cold foods chef
- Corporate chef
- Entremetier
- Executive chef
- Executive sous-chef
- First sous-chef
- Garde-manger chef
- Head chef
- Head rotisseur
- Master chef
- Meat chef
- Meat, poultry and fish chef
- Pasta chef
- Pastry chef
- Rotisserie chef
- Saucier
- Second chef
- Sous-chef
- Specialist chef
- Specialty foods chef
- Supervising chef
- Sushi chef
- Working sous-chef
Responsibilities of a chef
- Arrange for purchase of machinery and their maintenance
- Plan menus and guarantee that food complies with quality standards
- Recruit and employ workers
- Consult with clients to plan weddings, banquets and niche functions
- Plan and guide the preparation of food and cooking activities at various restaurants
- Estimating food requirements and the cost of food and labor
- Supervising the tasks of specialist chefs, chefs, cooks and other kitchen staff
- Show the cooking team new cooking methods and new equipment
- Instruct cooks to prepare, cook, garnish and present foodstuffs
- Create fresh recipes
Permanent residence in Canada can be acquired through various pathways.
The most sought-after Canada immigration routes for a foreign skilled worker are – the Express Entry system, and the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
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