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Chef Instructor Jobs in Atlanta, GA (NOW HIRING)

Baking Social

Lead Pastry Chef

Atlanta, GA · On-site

$70K - $105K/yr

Lead Pastry Chef Baking Social | Atlanta, Georgia This Isn't Your Average Kitchen Job. Baking ... Training an assistant instructor on our Starter Culture sourdough fundamentals * Sourcing ...

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Chef Instructor information

See Atlanta, GA salary details

$15

$21

$27

How much do chef instructor jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 15, 2026, the average hourly pay for chef instructor in Atlanta, GA is $21.78, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $18.94 and $24.28 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Chef Instructor vs Culinary Teacher?

AspectChef InstructorCulinary Teacher
CredentialsCooking certifications, culinary degreesCooking certifications, culinary degrees
Work EnvironmentCooking schools, culinary institutes, vocational schoolsHigh schools, community colleges, culinary programs
Employer & IndustryEducational institutions, culinary academiesEducational institutions, vocational schools
Primary FocusTeaching culinary skills, practical cookingTeaching culinary concepts, theory, and skills

Both Chef Instructors and Culinary Teachers typically hold similar credentials and work in educational settings related to culinary arts. The main difference lies in their focus: Chef Instructors often emphasize practical cooking skills and hands-on training, while Culinary Teachers may focus more on culinary theory and broader educational objectives. Both roles are essential in culinary education, preparing students for careers in the food industry.

What are some common challenges Chef Instructors face when transitioning from industry kitchens to the classroom?

Chef Instructors often find the shift from a fast-paced restaurant environment to teaching requires adapting their communication and leadership styles. Instructors must break down complex culinary techniques into clear, teachable steps and exercise patience as students develop their skills. Additionally, balancing curriculum requirements with hands-on practice and providing individualized feedback to diverse learners can be challenging. Successful Chef Instructors leverage their industry experience while cultivating a supportive, educational atmosphere that fosters student growth.

What are Chef Instructors?

Chef Instructors are culinary professionals who teach and train students in cooking techniques, food safety, kitchen management, and recipe development. They work in culinary schools, community colleges, or private cooking classes, sharing their expertise and passion for food. Chef Instructors are responsible for developing lesson plans, demonstrating cooking methods, and evaluating student progress to ensure a high standard of culinary education.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Chef Instructor, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Chef Instructor, you need a strong culinary background, professional kitchen experience, and often a culinary arts degree or certification. Familiarity with commercial kitchen equipment, food safety standards, and teaching technologies is essential. Excellent communication, leadership, and patience are standout soft skills for effectively mentoring students of diverse skill levels. These skills ensure high-quality instruction, safe kitchen operations, and the ability to inspire and develop future culinary professionals.

What Does a Chef Instructor Do?

Chef instructors teach students about the culinary arts. In this role, you may demonstrate how to make various types of food, cover commercial cooking aspects such as safety and sanitation regulations, and help prepare students to handle the duties and responsibilities of being a professional chef. Most chef instructors fall into one of two categories. General teachers focus on basic cooking skills like tools and everyday ingredients, both of which can vary by region. Specialized instructors concentrate on certain types of cuisine, such as ethnic foods. Most chef instructors work at public culinary schools, but a few work exclusively for large food service companies to train chefs and ensure they meet company standards.

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Chef Instructor jobs near you

Lead Pastry Chef

Baking Social

Atlanta, GA • On-site

$70K - $105K/yr

Full-time

PTO

Posted 25 days ago

Job description

Lead Pastry Chef

Baking Social | Atlanta, Georgia

This Isn't Your Average Kitchen Job.

Baking Social is Atlanta's first experience-driven baking studio — and we're building something the city has never seen. Think Flaky Behavior croissant nights, Wake + Bake cinnamon roll mornings, and sold-out date nights streamed live on TikTok and Instagram. Every class is part baking lesson, part social event, part content moment.

We're looking for a Lead Pastry Chef who's as comfortable commanding a room of 20 guests as they are perfecting a laminated dough. This role is front-of-room, high-energy, and central to everything we're building — and we're offering the right person a stake in what that becomes.

What You'll Do

You'll be the creative and culinary heart of the studio. That means developing our rotating class menu (with your own stamp on it), leading live classes that guests can't stop talking about, and helping us build the operational foundation to scale this concept across multiple cities.

On any given week, you might be:

  • Leading a Triple Brownie Night for a sold-out Friday crowd
  • Developing a new seasonal class tied to an Atlanta food moment
  • Training an assistant instructor on our Starter Culture sourdough fundamentals
  • Sourcing ingredients from a local Atlanta vendor you've been wanting to work with
  • Reviewing footage from last night's TikTok livestream to see what landed

This role operates across the full studio — from the instructor demo counter with clear sight lines to the whole class, to back-of-house prep, to the content your classes generate for our growing audience.

What We're Looking For

Required:

  • Culinary Arts degree or equivalent professional experience
  • 5+ years in pastry and/or bread — artisan breads, pastry fundamentals, fermentation
  • Experience leading teams in fast-paced, high-volume environments
  • A confident, warm presence in front of live audiences
  • Strong organizational discipline — you understand that great experiences require great systems

You're exactly who we need if you:

  • Light up when you're teaching, not just cooking
  • Know Atlanta's food scene and want to help shape it
  • Are genuinely excited to be filmed — our classes run live on TikTok and Instagram
  • Balance creativity with operational rigor
  • Want to build something from the ground up, not just execute someone else's vision

Compensation & Upside

We're building Baking Social to scale — flagship in Atlanta, with studios planned in Nashville, Charlotte, Dallas, and Austin. We want our Lead Pastry Chef to grow with us, and that means offering real financial upside alongside a competitive base.

  • Base Salary: $70,000–$105,000 (commensurate with experience)
  • Profit Sharing: Performance-based share of studio profitability as the business scales
  • Equity Opportunity: Meaningful equity participation available for the right candidate — we want our founding team invested in what we build together
  • Paid Time Off & Sick Leave
  • Path to grow into a multi-studio culinary leadership role as we expand

About Baking Social

Baking Social was built in partnership with Shane Quillin, founder of Sugar Shane's (four Atlanta locations), and is incubated by Founders Row. We're a hospitality-first studio where the experience and the people matter as much as the bake. Our space — warm wood, white tile, soft lighting, vintage recipe books — is designed to feel like a stylish kitchen party, not a classroom.

We believe Atlanta deserves a baking studio rooted in its community, built for how people want to gather today.

Baking Social is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a team that reflects the vibrant, diverse communities of Atlanta. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.


Employment Type: Full Time
Years Experience: 5 - 10 years
Salary: $70,000 - $105,000 Annual
Bonus/Commission: Yes