A trained chef in Chile earns between CLP 0.7 million and CLP 1.0 million gross a month in the fourth year after graduating, depending on the institution, according to the Employment and Income Search Tool of Mi Futuro, run by the Undersecretariat of Higher Education. The top bracket, CLP 0.9 million to CLP 1.0 million, belongs to graduates of IP Instituto Internacional de Artes Culinarias y Servicios and CFT Escuela Culinaria Francesa.
The tool lists 13 Culinary Arts programs, 9 of which report income, with an average lower bound of CLP 0.77 million. On average, 43.7% of graduates earn above the minimum wage in their first year and 48.9% in their second. This guide explains how much a trained chef earns in Chile by institution, how long it takes to find work and how the field compares with similar degrees.
How much a chef earns in Chile by institute
| Gross income bracket in year 4 | Institutions | Count |
|---|---|---|
| CLP 0.9 to 1.0 million | IP Instituto Internacional de Artes Culinarias y Servicios, CFT Escuela Culinaria Francesa | 2 |
| CLP 0.8 to 0.9 million | IP Inacap, IP Duoc UC | 2 |
| CLP 0.7 to 0.8 million | IP AIEP, IP de Chile, CFT Santo Tomás, CFT Inacap, IP Duoc UC | 5 |
| No data | CFT ENAC, CFT Juan Bohon, U. de Las Américas, CFT PUCV | 4 |
Source: Mi Futuro, Culinary Arts (13 programs, 9 with income data), accessed November 14, 2026. According to the search tool's methodology, income is the average gross monthly pay of 2018, 2019 and 2020 graduates in their fourth year after graduating, calculated with data from the Internal Revenue Service (SII) and expressed in September 2025 pesos. The employment rate is the share of graduates earning at least the minimum wage in their first or second year. Programs with few cases show "no information" (s/i). The highest bracket the tool publishes runs from CLP 2.5 to 3 million.
The tool splits the field into two entries: Culinary and Cooking Technician (9 programs, 6 with income data), about six semesters in practice, and Culinary Management (4 programs, 3 with income data), about ten. Both are combined here. The top bracket, CLP 900,000 to 1 million, belongs to CFT Escuela Culinaria Francesa and IP Instituto Internacional de Artes Culinarias y Servicios (Culinary). Culinary management at IP Inacap and international cuisine at IP Duoc UC are in the CLP 800,000 to 900,000 bracket.
Technicians from CFT Inacap, CFT Santo Tomás, IP AIEP, IP de Chile and IP Duoc UC are in the CLP 700,000 to 800,000 bracket. CFT ENAC, CFT Juan Bohon, CFT PUCV and Universidad de Las Américas do not report income.
In the table below you can search for your institution and sort by income or employment rate:
| IP Instituto Internacional de Artes Culinarias y Servicios | 0.9 | 43.7% | 49.7% |
| CFT Escuela Culinaria Francesa | 0.9 | 33.7% | No data |
| IP Inacap | 0.8 | 52.3% | 56.1% |
| IP Duoc UC | 0.8 | 46.6% | 55.0% |
| IP AIEP | 0.7 | 50.2% | 48.5% |
| IP de Chile | 0.7 | 43.8% | 49.7% |
| CFT Santo Tomás | 0.7 | 40.7% | 50.1% |
| CFT Inacap | 0.7 | 40.4% | 47.0% |
| IP Duoc UC | 0.7 | 39.6% | 45.5% |
| CFT ENAC | No data | 54.9% | 61.3% |
| CFT Juan Bohon | No data | 51.8% | 45.3% |
| Universidad de Las Américas | No data | 37.5% | No data |
| CFT PUCV | No data | 33.3% | 29.3% |
What a chef does and why a chef's pay in Chile varies so much
A chef or professional cook plans menus, prepares dishes, costs recipes, buys supplies and runs a kitchen team. They work in restaurants, hotels, cruise ships, company canteens, hospital and mining-camp food services, catering and, increasingly, in kitchens that sell only through delivery apps.
Mi Futuro only covers people with a degree from a technical training center (CFT), a professional institute or a university; it does not include cooks trained on the job or people who own their own restaurant. It also reports income in year 4, when most are not yet head chefs, a position that can pay considerably more. According to the tool, the average lower bound is CLP 0.73 million for culinary technicians and CLP 0.83 million for culinary management graduates.
A chef's pay in Chile depends heavily on tips and the type of venue: hotels in tourist areas and mining sites with shift systems often pay bonuses the tool does not break out. Employment, on the other hand, is among the lowest of technical careers, as shown below.
Employment of trained chefs in Chile
View the data as a table
| Average lower bound of the year-4 income bracket | CLP 0.77 M |
| Employment rate in year 1 | 43.7% |
| Employment rate in year 2 | 48.9% |
| Average actual duration | 7.2 semesters |
| Indicator (Culinary Arts) | Range across institutions | Simple average |
|---|---|---|
| Employment rate in year 1 | 33,3% (CFT PUCV) – 54,9% (CFT ENAC) | 43.7% |
| Employment rate in year 2 | 29,3% (CFT PUCV) – 61,3% (CFT ENAC) | 48.9% |
| Actual length of the degree | 5,3 – 11,0 | 7.2 semesters |
| First-year retention | 58,3% (CFT ENAC) – 87,9% (U. de Las Américas) | 76.7% |
Source: Mi Futuro, simple averages calculated by Vivarae News. First-year employment ranges from 33.3% at CFT PUCV to 54.9% at CFT ENAC; in other words, about half of graduates do not record income above the minimum wage in their first year, which in the culinary field may be partly explained by informal, hourly or tip-based work. The relationship between income and employment by institution is shown in this chart:
View the data as a table
| Employment rate in year 1 | Lower bound of year-4 income bracket (CLP millions) | |
|---|---|---|
| IP Instituto Internacional de Artes Culinarias y Servicios | 43.70% | 0.90 |
| CFT Escuela Culinaria Francesa | 33.70% | 0.90 |
| IP Inacap | 52.30% | 0.80 |
| IP Duoc UC | 46.60% | 0.80 |
| IP AIEP | 50.20% | 0.70 |
| IP de Chile | 43.80% | 0.70 |
| CFT Santo Tomás | 40.70% | 0.70 |
| CFT Inacap | 40.40% | 0.70 |
| IP Duoc UC | 39.60% | 0.70 |
A chef's pay versus tourism and hospitality
| Degree | Average lower bound of year-4 income bracket | Average employment rate in year 1 | Programs with income data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tourism and Hotel Management | CLP 0.90 million | 47.9% | 4 |
| Culinary Management | CLP 0.83 million | 45.0% | 3 |
| Tourism and Hospitality Technician | CLP 0.77 million | 41.1% | 6 |
| Culinary and Cooking Technician | CLP 0.73 million | 43.2% | 6 |
Source: Mi Futuro, accessed November 14, 2026; simple averages calculated by Vivarae News. Management degrees, which are longer, pay between CLP 100,000 and 150,000 more than technical ones, in both culinary arts and tourism. To compare with another food-related profession, see how much a nutritionist earns; for the legal floor in the region, the minimum wage in Latin America.
How much a trained chef earns in Chile: from gross to net pay
For a trained chef with gross pay equal to the degree's average lower bound, CLP 0.77 million, the legal deductions are the pension fund (AFP) contribution (10% plus the fee), health (7% in Fonasa or the isapre plan), unemployment insurance (0.6% on an open-ended contract) and income tax. With a fee of about 1.5%, contributions add up to roughly 19.1%, leaving about CLP 0.62 million before income tax, which depends on the income bracket (our own approximate calculation). For reference, the minimum wage in Chile has been CLP 553,553 since May 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a trained chef earn right after graduating in Chile?
There is no official first-year income figure. Mi Futuro reports income in the fourth year: between CLP 0.7 million and CLP 1.0 million gross depending on the institution, with an average lower bound of CLP 0.77 million.
Where should you study Culinary Arts to earn more?
According to Mi Futuro, graduates of IP Instituto Internacional de Artes Culinarias y Servicios and CFT Escuela Culinaria Francesa are in the top bracket in year 4, CLP 0.9 million to CLP 1.0 million.
Is it easy to find work as a chef?
On average, 43.7% of graduates earn above the minimum wage in their first year and 48.9% in their second, according to Mi Futuro.
How much does a head chef earn in Chile?
Mi Futuro does not report pay by position, only by degree and in year 4 after graduating. Head chefs usually earn more than the field average, but there is no official public source with that figure.
Where should you study culinary arts to earn more?
According to Mi Futuro, CFT Escuela Culinaria Francesa and IP Culinary have the top bracket in year 4, CLP 900,000 to 1 million.
