Chef Jobs in Los Angeles, CA
Looking for Chef jobs in Los Angeles, CA? You’re in the right place!
With 374 Chef positions available in the restaurant and hospitality field, there’s no shortage of opportunities to match your skills and experience.
Chef Jobs in Los Angeles, CA- How To Apply for Chef Jobs in Los Angeles, CA
- 1. Build a Professional Chef Resume
- 2. Tailor Each Chef Application
- 3. Prepare for Chef Job Interviews
- Top Areas To Find Chef Jobs in Los Angeles, CA
- Legal Requirements & Kitchen Regulations for Chefs in Los Angeles, CA
- Outlook for Chef Careers in Los Angeles
- Why Employers & Job Seekers Trust OysterLink
- Sources
How To Apply for Chef Jobs in Los Angeles, CA
Chef jobs in LA are competitive, but the right approach can boost your chances. Here are three steps to complete your Chef job application and search for Chef job openings:
1. Build a Professional Chef Resume
Create a strong Chef resume that highlights your cooking skills, techniques and formal qualifications.
Register an account to use OysterLink's resume builder to create a professional Chef resume.
Here’s a quick guide to using the OysterLink resume section effectively:
- Fill in details: Add your bio, work history, education, and languages to strengthen your resume.
- Set privacy: Choose between private (applied employers only) or public visibility.
- Upload photo: Add a professional headshot (200×200, PNG or JPG).
- Confirm location: Make sure your base location is accurate.
- Write your bio: Highlight your skills, goals and job focus. Keep it clear and hospitality-focused.
2. Tailor Each Chef Application
Tailoring your application shows genuine interest — and it works.
A tailored application helps you stand out in a competitive Chef job market. To maximize your chances:
- Don’t send the same resume and cover letter to every job
- Mirror the job description and highlight relevant experience
- Mention the restaurant by name and why their concept excites you
3. Prepare for Chef Job Interviews
Before any kitchen interview, be ready to talk about your cooking background and philosophy. Expect questions about your experience with different cuisines and how you handle busy service periods.
Review the job description so you can match your strengths to the restaurant’s needs.
Prepare examples that show leadership, such as running a shift and creativity, like developing a menu special.
Ask thoughtful questions to demonstrate genuine interest. Highlight your flexibility and teamwork, as Chefs in Los Angeles often work long hours in fast-paced, diverse kitchens.
Top Areas To Find Chef Jobs in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles isn’t one single food scene — it’s a city of distinct neighborhoods, each with its own pace, cuisine, and hiring style.
That level of variety means your approach shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all. Instead of sending the same résumé everywhere, focus on the areas that align with your skills, schedule and culinary mindset.
Below are Chef-centric hotspots that regularly post openings on OysterLink and local hospitality forums.
West Hollywood
This trendy neighborhood is known for upscale restaurants, celebrity clientele and innovative culinary trends. Chefs in West Hollywood often earn higher pay and gain valuable exposure in a competitive, high-profile market.
What makes it stand out:
- Upscale dining, celebrity clientele and high-end restaurants mean higher wages and tips.
- Strong demand for innovative, trend-setting Chefs in fine dining and modern cuisine.
Santa Monica
Santa Monica blends beachside charm with a vibrant restaurant scene driven by tourism and local affluence. It’s a top choice for Chefs focused on sustainable, seasonal and upscale coastal cuisine.
What makes it stand out:
- Coastal hotspot with a thriving food scene, from luxury hotels to sustainable farm-to-table spots.
- Tourist foot traffic and affluent locals drive steady business and hiring demand.
Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA)
DTLA is a fast-growing culinary hub filled with Chef-owned concepts, rooftop dining and culturally diverse kitchens. It offers ambitious Chefs constant opportunities to grow and stand out.
What makes it stand out:
- Diverse food culture with constant openings of modern bistros, rooftop dining and Chef-led concepts.
- Ideal for career growth, networking and exposure in the industry.
Pasadena
Pasadena offers a slower pace with high standards, ideal for Chefs who want stability and long-term career development. The area supports refined, well-established restaurants and is steadily gaining culinary recognition.
What makes it stand out:
- Known for refined, well-established restaurants and growing interest in culinary excellence.
- Family-friendly and less saturated than other hotspots, with room for culinary leadership.
Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills is synonymous with luxury, and the same goes for its dining scene — fine dining, hotel kitchens and private clubs dominate here. Chefs in this area can command top salaries and work with premium ingredients and clientele.
What makes it stand out:
- Home to exclusive, high-paying restaurant roles in hotels and private dining clubs.
- Great for experienced Chefs looking to elevate their profile and earn premium compensation.
Other Notable LA Pockets
- Culver City: Studio-backed commissary kitchens and trendy New American brasseries fuel steady hiring.
- Glendale & Burbank: Network television headquarters translate into catered-event volume.
- Mar Vista & West Adams: Emerging food halls and pop-up incubators give rising Chefs low-risk testing grounds.
Legal Requirements & Kitchen Regulations for Chefs in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles Chefs answer to three layers of rules — California state law, City of L.A. ordinances and L.A. County health codes. Here’s the core compliance checklist you’ll need before stepping onto any SoCal cookline.
Minimum Wage & Overtime
| Jurisdiction | Hourly Minimum (2025) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| California (statewide) | $16.50 (1 Jan 2025) | Applies unless a higher local rate overrides. |
| City of Los Angeles | $17.87 (1 Jul 2025) | Covers all employers inside city limits. |
| Unincorporated L.A. County | $17.81 (1 Jul 2025) | For kitchens outside incorporated cities. |
| Fast-Food Chains* | $20.00 (since 1 Apr 2024) | 60+-location brands statewide. |
*If you’re running a back-of-house team in a national quick-service brand, the $20 floor applies to cooks, prep and dish staff.
Overtime: California is stricter than federal rules. Hourly kitchen staff earn 1.5× pay after 8 hours in a day or 40 in a week, and 2× pay after 12 hours in a day or 8 hours on the 7th straight day.
Meal & Rest Breaks
- Meal breaks: One unpaid 30-minute meal must start before the end of the 5th hour. A second meal break is due before the 10th hour on longer shifts.
- Rest breaks: A paid 10-minute rest for every four hours (or major fraction) worked. Skipped breaks trigger one additional hour of premium pay per day.
Chefs on salary are often “exempt,” but most Line-Level cooks and Sous Chefs remain non-exempt and must receive these breaks.
Food-Safety Credentials
- California Food Handler Card – Every food employee (cook, dishwasher, garde-manger, etc.) must secure a card within 30 days of hire, valid for three years.
- Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) – Each food facility needs at least one on-site manager with an ANSI-accredited CFPM certificate (ServSafe, NRFSP, etc.). L.A. County inspectors will ask for proof during routine visits.
Pro Tip: Many L.A. hotels reimburse exam fees if you pass on the first try—worth negotiating at offer time.
Workplace Protections
- Anti-discrimination: California’s Fair Employment & Housing Act (FEHA) bars bias on 18+ protected characteristics (race, gender, immigration status, hairstyle, etc.).
- Harassment training: Employers with five or more workers must provide interactive sexual-harassment training (two hours for supervisors, one hour for staff) every two years.
- Tip policies: Mandatory service-charge or “health-care surcharge” line items must be disclosed up front under SB 478’s “Honest Pricing” law (1 Jul 2024). Violations can trigger stiff penalties.
While not unique to kitchens, these rules often surface in BOH disputes — know them before you sign.
Outlook for Chef Careers in Los Angeles
- Job growth: The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an 8% national rise in Chef and Head-Cook employment from 2023–2033.
- Local expansion: L.A. logged more than 150 notable restaurant openings in the first half of 2025 alone, spanning West Hollywood, Mar Vista and Downtown pop-ups.
- Tourism tailwind: Hotel analysts expect occupancy to climb steadily as the city prepares for the 2028 Olympics, spurring new hotel-restaurant builds and banquet hiring.
Why Employers & Job Seekers Trust OysterLink
Rated 4.9 on Glassdoor, OysterLink is a trusted platform for finding hospitality and culinary job opportunities.
Our dedicated selection team carefully screens every employer and job listing featured on our platform, assessing essential factors such as kitchen environment, employee reviews, salary transparency and overall industry reputation.
This ensures job seekers find reliable, rewarding chef positions tailored to their career goals.
Sources
OysterLink maintains an extensive database of hospitality and culinary job listings and employers across Los Angeles. Our listings are verified through a thorough vetting process, ensuring reliability and accuracy:
- Dedicated research: Our hospitality experts actively research and compile top chef opportunities by analyzing job postings, employer websites and company reputations.
- Employer submissions: Restaurants, hotels and hospitality employers can submit jobs directly to OysterLink, where each listing is reviewed and verified for quality and authenticity.