Australian Education Pathways

Chefs

VET / TAFE Moderate growth · ANZSCO skill level 2 · occupation 3513

Chefs plan and organise the preparation and cooking of food in dining and catering establishments.

People employed133,400
Median pay$1,423per week, full-time
Projected growth+5.8%over 5 years (to 2030)
Recent growth+4.6%per year
Median age34
Female share30%

How do you get there?

Highest qualification held by people in this job: 18% university · 59.6% vet / tafe · 17.6% school / entry (ABS Census via JSA).

Usually studied as Food & Hospitality. A selection of providers offering courses in this field (indicative, not ranked):

Course & field-of-education data © Commonwealth of Australia (CRICOS), CC BY 2.5 AU. Matched by field of education — indicative; confirm entry requirements with each provider.

Where these jobs are

NSW 30.1% · VIC 27.1% · QLD 20.9% · WA 11.3% · SA 5.4% · TAS 2.1% · ACT 1.8% · NT 1.5%

Top industries

Accommodation and Food Services.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia — Occupation profiles (Feb 2026) + Employment Projections (May 2025–2035). © Commonwealth of Australia, CC BY 4.0. Figures are national estimates.