Also called: Barbecue Cook, Smoker
Runs the smokers at a barbecue restaurant, managing fire, wood, and meat for 12+ hour cooks.
You might light the fire at 3 a.m. so the brisket is ready by lunch. All day you manage temperature, wrap meats, and decide when each piece is perfectly done by feel. Many pitmasters compete on the barbecue circuit and some open their own famous joints.
Owner-pitmasters of popular spots can earn much more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
No formal education, about 0 years after high school. Learned on the job; competitions build reputation.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Self-taught. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Growing faster than average.
Low risk for 10 years. Smart smokers help monitor temperature, but managing fire, wood and meat over long cooks stays hands-on.
Classes: Culinary arts CTE, Chemistry, Business.
Official data: O*NET occupation 35-2014.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.