Bakery chef vs sous chef

The differences between bakery chefs and sous chefs 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 sous chef. Additionally, a sous chef has an average salary of $48,716, 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 sous chef are culinary, food handling, and food preparation.

Bakery chef vs sous chef overview

	Bakery Chef	Sous Chef
Yearly salary	$40,422	$48,716
Hourly rate	$19.43	$23.42
Growth rate	15%	15%
Number of jobs	22,492	22,393
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 32%	Associate Degree, 51%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	6	6

Bakery chef vs sous chef salary

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

	Bakery Chef	Sous Chef
Average salary	$40,422	$48,716
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $58,000	Between $33,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	Paterson, NJ	Atlantic City, NJ
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Hawaii
Best paying company	Price Chopper Supermarkets-Market 32	RH
Best paying industry	Insurance	Government

Differences between bakery chef and sous chef education

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

	Bakery Chef	Sous Chef
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 32%	Associate Degree, 51%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	University of Cincinnati	Drexel University

Bakery chef vs sous chef demographics

Here are the differences between bakery chefs' and sous chefs' demographics:

	Bakery Chef	Sous Chef
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 47.9% Female, 52.1%	Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9%
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, 10.2% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 11.3% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between bakery chef and sous chef 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

Sous chef example responsibilities.

Manage FOH duties, along with customer relations.
Train, mentore, manage and discipline lead chefs, associate chefs, prep cooks, pastry assistants and dishwashers.
Manage a staff of 45 union personnel in preparation of meals for hospital patients and cafeteria patrons for three meals daily.
Control food and payroll costs to achieve maximum profitability.
Manage people and oversee production of high-volume establishment for this upscale restaurant specializing in Mexican cuisine.
Train and manage all culinary personnel, supervise and coordinate all culinary activities, estimate food consumption and manage food cost.

Bakery chef vs sous chef skills

Common bakery chef skills

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

Common sous chef skills

Culinary, 15%
Food Handling, 8%
Food Preparation, 7%
Customer Service, 5%
Fine Dining, 5%
Food Service, 5%

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Bakery Chef
Bakery Chef vs Sous Chef

Updated January 8, 2025

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