by our College Data Analytics Team
[Culinary Arts](/majors/personal-and-culinary-services/culinary-arts/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The highest-paying schools turn a culinary arts degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find where culinary arts graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose culinary arts graduates go on to earn the most.
Our analysis ranked Atlanta Technical College the top school for culinary arts graduate earnings in Georgia. Atlanta Technical College is a public school located in the city of Atlanta. Culinary Arts graduates of Atlanta Technical College earn a median of about $40,302 a year early in their careers.
Gwinnett Technical College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying culinary arts schools. Located in the suburb of Lawrenceville, Gwinnett Technical College is a public institution. After graduating, culinary arts degree recipients from Gwinnett Technical College typically earn about $36,839 annually.
Strong graduate earnings at Augusta Technical College earned it the #3 place for culinary arts. Augusta Technical College is a public school located in the city of Augusta. Students who complete the culinary arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $24,944.
Strong graduate earnings at Helms College earned it the #4 place for culinary arts. Located in the city of Augusta, Helms College is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career culinary arts graduates from Helms College make a median of around $24,839 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at Albany Technical College earned it the #5 place for culinary arts. Set in the city of Albany, Albany Technical College is a public institution. After graduating, culinary arts degree recipients from Albany Technical College typically earn about $18,737 annually.
North Georgia Technical College landed the #6 spot for culinary arts salaries this year. Set in the rural area of Clarkesville, North Georgia Technical College is a public institution. After graduating, culinary arts degree recipients from North Georgia Technical College typically earn about $17,383 annually.
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their culinary arts graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 6 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.