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The differences between assistant food service directors and kitchen managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an assistant food service director and a kitchen manager. Additionally, a kitchen manager has an average salary of $50,448, which is higher than the $41,871 average annual salary of an assistant food service director.
The top three skills for an assistant food service director include food preparation, cleanliness and servsafe. The most important skills for a kitchen manager are customer service, kitchen equipment, and cleanliness.
| Assistant Food Service Director | Kitchen Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $41,871 | $50,448 |
| Hourly rate | $20.13 | $24.25 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 150,177 | 151,781 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An Assistant Food Service Director supervises and coordinates food preparation and food service activities. They work under the direction of the director of food service.
A kitchen manager is responsible for supervising overall kitchen operations duties, checking food storage, and distributing appropriate kitchen staff tasks. Kitchen managers' jobs also include monitoring food preparation, ensuring that all orders and serving portions are correct, organizing menu prices, researching current market trends of the food industry, and maintaining the highest sanitation procedures. Kitchen managers should also assist guests with their inquiries, manage concerns, and handle complaints. They should have excellent communication and leadership skills to lead the kitchen staff in providing the best customer experience.
Assistant food service directors and kitchen managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Food Service Director | Kitchen Manager | |
| Average salary | $41,871 | $50,448 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $59,000 | Between $37,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | - | Hillstone Restaurant Group |
| Best paying industry | - | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between an assistant food service director and a kitchen manager in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Food Service Director | Kitchen Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Most common major | Business | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | Cornell University | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between assistant food service directors' and kitchen managers' demographics:
| Assistant Food Service Director | Kitchen Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.7% Female, 49.3% | Male, 72.0% Female, 28.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 7.2% White, 59.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 7.6% White, 59.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |