Catering and chefs work at events: pay and how to get hired
Catering staff and chefs prepare and serve food at venues, conference centres, sports grounds and festivals. There are 580 live catering and chefs jobs on Event Job Site right now, the second biggest role on the site. In the US, jobs that list an hourly rate pay a median of $18.00 an hour (289 jobs).
What the work is
Line cooks and chefs prepare food in the venue's kitchens or concession stands; catering assistants plate up, run food and keep stations clean.
Big events mean high volumes in short bursts, so you work to set menus and timings, with strict food hygiene and allergen checks.
Banquet and conference work adds setting up rooms, serving set meals and clearing down.
What it pays
| Country | Median per hour | Middle half | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | $18.00 | $16.00 to $21.00 | 289 |
Where the jobs are
What helps you get hired
- In the UK, every food business must train its staff in food hygiene. Many caterers ask for a Level 2 food hygiene certificate as proof that you've done it, so having one makes you quicker to hire. (Source: GOV.UK, Running a food business, your responsibilities)
- Know the 14 allergens and how your kitchen labels them: allergen management is one of a food business's legal duties. (Source: GOV.UK, Running a food business, your responsibilities)
- Be ready to prove your right to work on your first shift. (Source: GOV.UK, Prove your right to work to an employer)
How we worked this out
We used every live job on Event Job Site: 3,543 jobs today, most of them listed from the employers' own careers pages and the rest posted with us directly. 1,429 of them list pay, 1,415 as an hourly rate.
Pay figures use hourly rates only, in the currency the employer gives. Where a job gives a range, we use the lower figure. We show the median (half of jobs pay more, half less) and the middle half of rates, so one unusual listing can't skew the picture. A role or place is shown only when at least 10 jobs list an hourly rate; smaller groups are left out rather than guessed.
The figures refresh from live jobs as employers post and close jobs. The "Figures updated" date at the top is when a figure last changed.
Questions people ask
How much do catering and chefs jobs at events pay?
In the US, the median is $18.00 an hour and half of jobs pay between $16.00 and $21.00, from 289 live jobs that list an hourly rate.
Where are most catering and chefs jobs?
Tampa, Florida (22), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (17), London (14) and Phoenix, Arizona (12).