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Certificate IV · national qualification

Certificate IV in Kitchen Management

You learn to cook across the main food groups, from stocks, sauces and soups through to meat, poultry, seafood, vegetarian dishes, desserts and breads, and then take on the parts of the job that sit above the stove: planning and costing recipes, designing menus, running a shift, managing a kitchen budget and working through conflict among staff.

Compare 34 providers
Illustration of a person working as sous Chef
How long it takes
About 0.5 to 3 years
full time at TAFE NSW
What it costs
From $315
Subsidised at Chisholm Institute, full fee up to $28,745
How you can study
On campus
Main job
Sous Chef
$70,200 (estimate) median pay, In demand
Taught by
34 providers
Every state and territory

Is this course right for you?

What the Certificate IV in Kitchen Management asks of you, and what you might want to check first.

It helps to have

  • an interest in cooking and how food is prepared
  • good communication skills for working with a team
  • an eye for detail when following recipes and checking quality
  • a willingness to step up and guide others in a busy kitchen

Before you start

There are no entry requirements for this qualification.

Where this course can take you

Jobs this qualification is a recognised route into, and the study that can follow it.

Jobs you can do with it

  • Sous Chef

    Sous chefs run the kitchen line and stand in for the head chef, keeping service timing, food quality and kitchen costs on track.

    What else you need

    TAFE NSW lists sous chef among graduate roles. There are no entry requirements for the course, though check the provider's requirements. This catalogue groups awards: verify the chosen provider, programme and intake; the family-level link is not confirmation that every offering is approved.

    Median pay$70,200 (estimate)

    In demand

Pay is the median for everyone in the job, and “In demand” means the job is on the national shortage list. Pay marked as an estimate is our own analysis, not a published figure.

What it costs

Subsidised place

From $315

at Chisholm Institute. Whether you get a subsidised place depends on your state, residency, age and earlier study.

Paying the full fee

$7,928 to $28,745

across the TAFEs listed below. Private providers set their own fees.

  • TAFE NSWNSW

    Subsidised
    $2,360
    Concession
    $240
    Full fee
    $20,230
    How long
    About 0.5 to 3 years

  • Chisholm InstituteVIC

    Subsidised
    $315
    Concession
    $63
    Full fee
    $7,928

  • Holmesglen InstituteVIC

    Subsidised
    $8,864
    Concession
    $1,773
    Full fee
    $19,460

  • The GordonVIC

    Subsidised
    $5,992
    Concession
    $1,196
    Full fee
    $11,115

  • TAFE QueenslandQLD

    Subsidised
    $21,585
    Concession
    $20,035
    Full fee
    $28,745

Fees as each TAFE shows them on its website, read 20 September 2026. Private providers set their own fees.

Where you can study this course

There are 34 places you can study this course. When you compare them, check they teach it the way you want to study, how far you'd be from a campus, what it will cost you and what past students say about the teaching and support. They're listed by how often people search for them, and none of them pays to be here or to move up.

  • Melbourne Polytechnic

    13 campuses, VIC

    3.7from 485 Google reviews

    Website for Melbourne Polytechnic (opens in a new tab)

    What students like

    • Some teachers are supportive and go out of their way
    • Student services offer understanding and compassion

    What to weigh up

    • Messages to staff can go unanswered
    • Enrolment mistakes can take time to fix

  • TAFE NSW

    8 campuses, NSW

    More about TAFE NSW

    4.0from 2,410 Google reviews

    How you study
    On campus
    How long
    About 0.5 to 3 years
    Fee
    From $2,360 subsidised
    Course page for TAFE NSW (opens in a new tab)

    What students like

    • Teachers are supportive and ready to help
    • Staff are helpful and friendly
    • Course content is practical and industry relevant

    What to weigh up

    • Enrolment and admin can be slow
    • Some find front desk staff less helpful

  • Victoria University

    11 campuses, NSW, QLD, VIC

    3.9from 1,562 Google reviews

    Website for Victoria University (opens in a new tab)

    What students like

    • Lecturers are friendly, supportive and approachable
    • Studying one subject at a time through the block model
    • Staff are welcoming and ready to help

    What to weigh up

    • Admin can be hard to reach after you finish

  • Stanley College

    4 campuses, SA, WA

    4.3from 882 Google reviews

    Website for Stanley College (opens in a new tab)

    What students like

    • Finance staff are patient and explain fees clearly
    • Student services staff are friendly and helpful
    • Trainers explain clearly and give practical examples

    What to weigh up

    • Enrolment and admin can be slow

  • Charles Darwin University

    12 campuses, NSW, NT

    4.2from 619 Google reviews

    Website for Charles Darwin University (opens in a new tab)

    What students like

    • Admin and support staff are helpful

    What to weigh up

    • Units vary depending on the lecturer
    • Feedback on assessments can vary

  • TAFE Gippsland

    11 campuses, VIC

    3.9from 113 Google reviews

    Website for TAFE Gippsland (opens in a new tab)

  • TAFE Queensland

    3 campuses, QLD

    4.1from 2,040 Google reviews

    How you study
    On campus
    Fee
    From $21,585 subsidised
    Course page for TAFE Queensland (opens in a new tab)

    What students like

    • Teachers are helpful and supportive

    What to weigh up

    • Poor communication from admin

  • TAFE SA

    26 campuses, SA

    4.4from 1,339 Google reviews

    Website for TAFE SA (opens in a new tab)

    What students like

    • Lecturers are nice and helpful

    What to weigh up

    • Enrolment and admin can be slow
    • Course information can be unclear

What you’ll learn

33 units: 27 that everyone takes and 6 you choose.

  • Cooking across food groups
  • Planning and costing recipes
  • Designing and costing menus
  • Managing a kitchen budget
  • Leading and supervising a kitchen
  • Food safety and hygiene
See all 27 core units

Core units

Everyone completes these. Select a unit to see what it covers.

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Questions to ask before you enrol

Providers run this course differently, so the answers change from one to the next.

  1. When is the next intake, and how many are there each year?
  2. What is the total cost, including materials, checks and any placement costs?
  3. Can I study part time or online, and how does that change the length?
  4. Do the units count towards a higher qualification if I go on to study further?

Questions people ask

Who is this qualification for?

It suits cooks with some commercial kitchen experience who want to step up to a supervisory or team leading role, or to run a small kitchen or their own food business in a restaurant, hotel, club, pub or cafe. The qualification prepares you for roles such as Chef or Sous Chef, where you operate independently or with limited guidance and use discretion to solve non-routine problems.

Do I need experience or other qualifications first?

There are no entry requirements for this qualification. Individual providers can set their own conditions, so check with the provider you choose.

The national training register, training.gov.au. TAFE course pages, read 20 September 2026. Google reviews. Pay and shortage status from Jobs and Skills Australia.