Job Description: A personal chef is not a private chef! While a private chef is employed by one individual or family at a time, a personal chef serves several clients, usually one per day, and provides multiple meals that are custom-designed for the clients’ particular requests and requirements. These meals are packaged and stored, so that the clients may enjoy them at their leisure in the future.

National Median Salary: $55,000 (annual), or $200 to $500 a day, depending on the market you live in

Education Requirements: Experience in the food service industry is important, as many personal chefs have been restaurant chefs in the past. A culinary arts degree of some kind – from a 2- or 4-year institution – will make you a more desirable personal chef and allow you to charge higher rates. A degree in marketing, sales or business will help you with the self-employment aspects of the job.

Job Outlook: Currently, about 9,000 personal chefs are estimated to serve 72,000 customers. Industry observers predict the number of personal chefs in the United States will double in the next five years.