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The differences between assistant chefs and pastry cooks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an assistant chef, becoming a pastry cook takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an assistant chef has an average salary of $37,670, which is higher than the $34,858 average annual salary of a pastry cook.
The top three skills for an assistant chef include kitchen equipment, safety standards and culinary. The most important skills for a pastry cook are culinary, cleanliness, and food handling.
| Assistant Chef | Pastry Cook | |
| Yearly salary | $37,670 | $34,858 |
| Hourly rate | $18.11 | $16.76 |
| Growth rate | 15% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 18,054 | 136,754 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 32% | Associate Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 42 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
It is the responsibility of an assistant chef to support the head chef of a catering business, restaurant, cafeteria, or bakery. Assistant chefs manage inventory and ensure compliance with food safety and kitchen cleanliness standards. They assist kitchen staff in the preparation of food. To get this job, one must be trained in a culinary school, have the needed cooking skills, and must have kitchen work experience. Strong teamwork ability and flexibility to work schedule are necessary for this job.
The Pastry Cook's responsibilities include preparing quality pastry items such as breakfast items, desserts, breads, ice creams, creams, simple syrups, amenities, and others. They are also responsible for minimizing waste and maintaining control to attain forecasted food cost.
Assistant chefs and pastry cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Chef | Pastry Cook | |
| Average salary | $37,670 | $34,858 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $63,000 | Between $27,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | Atlantic City, NJ | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Ncar - The National Center For Atmospheric Research | Sailfish Club of Florida |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between an assistant chef and a pastry cook in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Chef | Pastry Cook | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 32% | Associate Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between assistant chefs' and pastry cooks' demographics:
| Assistant Chef | Pastry Cook | |
| Average age | 42 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.4% Female, 28.6% | Male, 29.8% Female, 70.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 11.0% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 22.5% Asian, 9.6% White, 51.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 6% |