Banquet cook vs sous chef

The differences between banquet cooks and sous chefs can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a banquet cook, becoming a sous chef takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a sous chef has an average salary of $48,716, which is higher than the $34,599 average annual salary of a banquet cook.

The top three skills for a banquet cook include culinary, quality standards and cleanliness. The most important skills for a sous chef are culinary, food handling, and food preparation.

Banquet cook vs sous chef overview

	Banquet Cook	Sous Chef
Yearly salary	$34,599	$48,716
Hourly rate	$16.63	$23.42
Growth rate	16%	15%
Number of jobs	151,211	22,393
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 51%	Associate Degree, 51%
Average age	38	42
Years of experience	4	6

Banquet cook vs sous chef salary

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

	Banquet Cook	Sous Chef
Average salary	$34,599	$48,716
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $43,000	Between $33,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Atlantic City, NJ
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Hawaii
Best paying company	Grosse Pointe Yacht Club	RH
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Government

Differences between banquet cook and sous chef education

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

	Banquet Cook	Sous Chef
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 51%	Associate Degree, 51%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	Drexel University

Banquet cook vs sous chef demographics

Here are the differences between banquet cooks' and sous chefs' demographics:

	Banquet Cook	Sous Chef
Average age	38	42
Gender ratio	Male, 73.8% Female, 26.2%	Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 9.0% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	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	6%	9%

Differences between banquet cook and sous chef duties and responsibilities

Banquet cook example responsibilities.

Manage the POS system (adding/deleting specials, editing prices, viewing server appetizer/dessert sales and their server report information).
Knife skills, baking, roasting, frying, sauteing, and grilling large quantities.
Follow the HACCP guidelines for preparing food
Well verse in cleaning work areas, equipment, utensils, and dishes.
Work on the different stations in the kitchen like saut, grill and bake.
Task involve preparation of fresh meals daily for the hospital patients and the public.

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.

Banquet cook vs sous chef skills

Common banquet cook skills

Culinary, 14%
Quality Standards, 11%
Cleanliness, 10%
Food Handling, 10%
Kitchen Equipment, 8%
Food Preparation, 7%

Common sous chef skills

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

Banquet Cook vs. similar jobs

Banquet Cook related careers

Banquet Cook related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Banquet Cook
Banquet Cook vs Sous Chef

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse food preparation and restaurant jobs