Vermont: Cooking Up Something Special
Vermont's beauty creates a higher quality of life for many of its residents. Chefs who train in Vermont's culinary arts have found job opportunities in the state's larger cities, including Burlington, Essex, and Rutland.
Vermont is definitely a tourist-friendly state, as visitors throughout the northeast travel there for its lakes and villages, fall colors, and excellent skiing. Many skiing towns offer satisfying culinary career opportunities for chefs, restaurant managers, and hotel managers, as a large number of restaurants and hotels cater to vacationers and local weekend adventurers. As a Vermont chef or caterer, you will likely learn to make local favorites such as Anadama bread, fiddlehead ferns and apple butter.
A Vermont Culinary Education
Earning a degree from a Vermont cooking school is an excellent way to begin your culinary career, which can be very competitive. The high turnover rate for chef and management positions may keep job opportunities plentiful, but chefs with appropriate career training tend to find consistent work and culinary success.
Culinary Career Earning Potential in Vermont
In 2007, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported an average mean wage of $22,320 for Vermont chefs and head cooks. The BLS showed an average salary of $47,820 for restaurant managers, and an average salary of $54,670 for Vermont hotel managers. One way to establish a stable culinary career in Vermont is to open a bed and breakfast, inn, or restaurant in one of its many small towns. The restaurant owners who find success are often small town chefs, instead of large franchise operators.
