Cooks, Private Household
Prepare meals in private homes. Includes personal chefs.
Also called: Certified Personal Chef (CPC) · Personal Chef · Personal Private Chef · Private Chef
Median pay (national)
$44,530
$38,240–$92,480 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
900
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+5.1%
~5,300 openings/yr
Typical entry
Postsecondary nondegree award
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for cooks, private household shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $92,480 versus $38,240 at the bottom 10% — 2.4x. The median of $44,530 leaves roughly 108% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +5.1% from 2024 to 2034 — faster than the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 5,300 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Writing
- Active Learning
- Learning Strategies
- Mathematics
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Peel, wash, trim, and cook vegetables and meats, and bake breads and pastries.
- Cool, package, label, and freeze foods for later consumption and provide instructions for reheating.
- Plan menus according to employers' needs and diet restrictions.
- Shop for or order food and kitchen supplies and equipment.
- Prepare meals in private homes according to employers' recipes or tastes, handling all meals for the family and possibly for other household staff.
- Keep records pertaining to menus, finances, and other business-related issues.
- Stock, organize, and clean kitchens and cooking utensils.
- Specialize in preparing fancy dishes or food for special diets.
- Plan and prepare food for parties, holiday meals, luncheons, special functions, and other social events.
- Create and explore new cuisines.
Tools & technology
- Intuit QuickBooks
- WordPress
- APPCA Personal Chef Office
- Cooking e-books
- Cost tracking software
- Food inventory software
- Web browser software
- Work scheduling software
- YouTube
- Email software
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- Food Production
- Sales and Marketing
- Administration and Management
- Production and Processing
- Mathematics
- English Language
- Economics and Accounting