How to become a chef in Australia
Chefs plan and organise the preparation and cooking of food in dining and catering establishments.
The all-jobs median is $1,852 a week. Jobs in the chefs group are projected to grow 12.5% between May 2025 and May 2035, about the same as the 13.3% projected for all jobs. Projections are indicative, not forecasts, and JSA says they don't yet reflect generative AI.
What the job involves
- Planning 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 and kitchen and waiting staff
- Demonstrating techniques and advising on cooking procedures
- Preparing and cooking food
- Explaining and enforcing hygiene regulations
How to get there
What it usually takes. A diploma or advanced diploma. This is the skill level Jobs and Skills Australia gives the chefs group, and some roles differ.
What people in the job have. Highest qualification held: 18% a degree or higher, 22% a diploma, 37% a Certificate III or IV.
Many jobs also need registration, a licence or a specific accredited course. Check the professional body or regulator before you choose.
Courses that can lead here
Estimate your ATAR and this page shows the gap to each course. Your marks stay on your device.
Victoria3 matches
VTAC lowest selection ranks, December 2025 offer round.
Diplomas and other ways in
NSW and ACT0 matches
UAC lowest selection ranks, December Round 2, 2025-26 admissions.
No match in UAC's list. Some courses, medicine especially, don't publish a cutoff or use their own admissions.
Queensland0 matches
QTAC course pages, ATAR/Selection Rank profile for semester 1, 2026.
No match in QTAC's list. Some courses, medicine especially, don't publish a cutoff or use their own admissions.
Western Australia0 matches
TISC Course Search: lowest ATAR offered for 2026 entry and guaranteed offer ATARs.
No match in TISC's list. Some courses, medicine especially, don't publish a cutoff or use their own admissions.
Matched on course names, 3 across four admissions centres. A lowest selection rank includes adjustment points and moves every year. Check prerequisites and whether the course is accredited for this job.
Does it fit your interests?
Strongest interest areas for this kind of work: Enterprising, Realistic, Conventional.
From O*NET ratings for "Chefs and Head Cooks", the closest US occupation in JSA's correspondence (a good match). US ratings are a guide to Australian jobs, not a measurement of them.
Careers with similar interests
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Share your storyJob data: © Commonwealth of Australia, Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profiles, February 2026 and Employment Projections, May 2025 to May 2035 (Victoria University), CC BY 4.0. Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO 2013 Version 1.2 to O*NET-SOC 2019 Taxonomy correspondence.
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Curve ATAR has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.