Bakery chef vs head cook

The differences between bakery chefs and head cooks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a bakery chef and a head cook. Additionally, a head cook has an average salary of $44,412, which is higher than the $40,422 average annual salary of a bakery chef.

The top three skills for a bakery chef include culinary, kitchen equipment and food cost. The most important skills for a head cook are kitchen equipment, meal preparation, and food service.

Bakery chef vs head cook overview

	Bakery Chef	Head Cook
Yearly salary	$40,422	$44,412
Hourly rate	$19.43	$21.35
Growth rate	15%	15%
Number of jobs	22,492	156,227
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 32%	High School Diploma, 42%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	6	6

Bakery chef vs head cook salary

Bakery chefs and head cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Bakery Chef	Head Cook
Average salary	$40,422	$44,412
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $58,000	Between $32,000 And $61,000
Highest paying City	Paterson, NJ	San Antonio, TX
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New Jersey
Best paying company	Price Chopper Supermarkets-Market 32	Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
Best paying industry	Insurance	Manufacturing

Differences between bakery chef and head cook education

There are a few differences between a bakery chef and a head cook in terms of educational background:

	Bakery Chef	Head Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 32%	High School Diploma, 42%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	University of Cincinnati	Stanford University

Bakery chef vs head cook demographics

Here are the differences between bakery chefs' and head cooks' demographics:

	Bakery Chef	Head Cook
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 47.9% Female, 52.1%	Male, 63.5% Female, 36.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 11.3% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 10.3% White, 57.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between bakery chef and head cook duties and responsibilities

Bakery chef example responsibilities.

Integrate key culinary leaders into casino and food and beverage operations, achieving positive results and industry awards.
Experience in safe operation of commercial food service equipment, including deep fryers, ovens, cook tops, and slicers.
Own and operate successful gourmet restaurant/bakery/catering service
Mix, weigh and proof ingredients in accordance with bakery recipes.
Direct or coordinate bakery deliveries.
Own and operate successful gourmet restaurant/bakery/catering service

Head cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Accommodate all campers and staff with dietary restrictions, food allergies as well as providing vegetarian and vegan options.
Follow all equipment and safety procedures in all operations including slicers, choppers, mixers and other meal processing equipment.
Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Scramble eggs, sausage, potatoes, biscits and gravy.
Create and execute menus for the buffets.

Bakery chef vs head cook skills

Common bakery chef skills

Culinary, 49%
Kitchen Equipment, 32%
Food Cost, 6%
Bakery Products, 4%
Oven Temperatures, 3%
Safety Regulations, 3%

Common head cook skills

Kitchen Equipment, 41%
Meal Preparation, 15%
Food Service, 7%
Food Preparation, 3%
Quality Standards, 3%
Safety Standards, 2%

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Bakery Chef
Bakery Chef vs Head Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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