- Season 3 of “The Bear” premiered this week, giving fans a glimpse into life working at a restaurant.
- Business Insider analyzed wage data to see how Carmie, Sydney, and their staff would fare in the US economy.
- Restaurant worker wages have grown faster than inflation since 2020, but rising housing costs have put a strain on them.
“The Bear” season 3 premiered on June 26, meaning fans could finally bask in new episodes of the popular kitchen drama.
The previous season saw chef Carmen “Carmy” Belzatto (played by Jeremy Allen White) and his staff transform the beloved family-owned restaurant, Chicagoland’s Original Beef, into a fine-dining establishment called The Bear.
Ask any fan of “The Bear” if they were inspired by a dish and you’ll likely hear, “Yes, chef.”
Would you like to try a new job?
Now, that’s not so certain, but if viewers see Carmy and Sydney As he (Ayo Edebiri) prepares food for his guests, one question may arise: How much does a chef make? and its staff Are you actually going to make it?
Salaries vary by location, restaurant, and time of year, but we can get a rough idea: Business Insider analyzed national and Chicago-area wage data for restaurant employees to determine what the average salary for staff at The Bear would be if it were to open in 2023.
Overall, wages for leisure and hospitality workers, including restaurant workers, have outpaced other workers in recent years.
Restaurant staff’s wages have increased by 31.1% since January 2020, higher than the average wage increase of 25.4% for the entire private sector workforce.
The growth is due to minimum wage increases at the state level between 2019 and 2023, which have created a tight labor market, according to the Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit think tank.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall inflation has risen about 21% since January 2020, and restaurant wages have outpaced general price increases.
But all things considered, the staff at The Bear isn’t necessarily better off than they are now.
A new report from the Harvard Center for Housing Studies finds that 48% of Chicago renters feel cost-burdened. They spend 30% to 50% of their income on housing.
The Chicago suburb is also the second most competitive rental market in the United States.
But when it comes to something as basic as the annual salary of The Bear’s staff, the amount varies depending on the job.
Carmen “Karmy” Belzatto
Carmy, The Bear’s executive chef, is undoubtedly the driving force behind the restaurant.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a chef or head chef in Chicago earned a median annual salary of $68,620 in 2023.
Carmie’s estimated annual salary of $68,620 is above the national average of $59,310 for a chef or head chef, and equates to about $33 per hour, which is higher than the national average of $28.51 for a chef.
According to a Harvard University report, the median household income in Chicago is $75,900.
