Online Education Options for Catering
- Online Professional Catering Certifications are usually taken in conjunction with a formal degree program. A certificate proves an individual's expertise, but they are considered to be more like a minor. Therefore, formal degrees will probably get you further along in your career.
- Online Associates Professional Catering Degree expands job opportunities for students, provides a background in the culinary arts, and enables them to apply for careers in large organizations or begin their own catering business as an educated entrepreneur.
- Online Bachelors Professional Catering Degree enables students to be employed in professional careers. This degree may also improve an employee's chances for advancement in their career. Also, individuals with a Bachelors degree often earn a bigger salary than individuals with only an Associates degree.
- Online Masters Professional Catering Degree requires a lot of work, but serves as an excellent credential to an individual's knowledge and professionalism. A Masters degree proves that an individual is especially committed to and interested in improving their career opportunities.
Catering Career and Salary Information
An online degree in catering creates many career opportunities. Along with experience, a formal degree in catering can enable individuals to enter related management careers such as food and beverage management, hotel management, and restaurant management. Caterers more intent on cooking and pastry baking may choose to enter careers in restaurant, executive, or chef positions. Some caterers utilize their formal degree training to become catering business entrepreneurs and build their own menus and clientele list. The median entry level salary for people with a catering degree is $34,246. The salary for caterers and related careers may range anywhere from $23,229 to $44,068 in the beginning, but may increase to $50,000's or $60,000's depending on an individual's experience, business plan, and employment setting. Employment settings may include catering services, hotels, independent catering businesses, restaurants, and others. The number of jobs in this sector is expected to grow by 11% by 2016 (about as fast as average for all occupations) due to the growing population, increased demand for convenient food, and increased restaurant patronage. People seeking employment in this career must be efficient and able to work with a team. They must also be capable of providing excellent customer service and coming up with creative ideas. Knowledge of a foreign language may be helpful for interacting with some clientele.