Certified executive chef vs pastry cook

The differences between certified executive 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 a certified executive chef, becoming a pastry cook takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a certified executive chef has an average salary of $45,924, which is higher than the $34,858 average annual salary of a pastry cook.

The top three skills for a certified executive chef include menu development, safety regulations and fine dining. The most important skills for a pastry cook are culinary, cleanliness, and food handling.

Certified executive chef vs pastry cook overview

	Certified Executive Chef	Pastry Cook
Yearly salary	$45,924	$34,858
Hourly rate	$22.08	$16.76
Growth rate	15%	16%
Number of jobs	112,726	136,754
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Associate Degree, 51%
Average age	42	38
Years of experience	6	4

Certified executive chef vs pastry cook salary

Certified executive chefs and pastry cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Certified Executive Chef	Pastry Cook
Average salary	$45,924	$34,858
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $70,000	Between $27,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	-	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	Sailfish Club of Florida
Best paying industry	-	Hospitality

Differences between certified executive chef and pastry cook education

There are a few differences between a certified executive chef and a pastry cook in terms of educational background:

	Certified Executive Chef	Pastry Cook
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Associate Degree, 51%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	Stanford University	Cornell University

Certified executive chef vs pastry cook demographics

Here are the differences between certified executive chefs' and pastry cooks' demographics:

	Certified Executive Chef	Pastry Cook
Average age	42	38
Gender ratio	Male, 77.4% Female, 22.6%	Male, 29.8% Female, 70.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 12.4% White, 60.4% 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%

Differences between certified executive chef and pastry cook duties and responsibilities

Certified executive chef example responsibilities.

Integrate key culinary leaders into casino and food and beverage operations, achieving positive results and industry awards.
Create and prepare international cuisine for executive clientele by using ingenuity, organization, efficiency in production and attention to detail
Specialize in Italian, Mediterranean and French/Classical bistro establishments.

Pastry cook example responsibilities.

Manage cold kitchen production for a luxury hotel with a Michelin star restaurant
Clean steamers, hot @ cold line.
Serve customers ordering at the bistro.
Work in dining room during Sunday brunch and buffets serving desserts.
Engage in meetings including an annual board presentation of USDA budget.
Focuse on maintaining budget while meeting USDA and BSA nutrition requirements.

Certified executive chef vs pastry cook skills

Common certified executive chef skills

Menu Development, 31%
Safety Regulations, 26%
Fine Dining, 13%
Storage Facilities, 12%
Labor Costs, 10%
HACCP, 8%

Common pastry cook skills

Culinary, 17%
Cleanliness, 10%
Food Handling, 10%
Quality Standards, 7%
Fine Dining, 6%
Food Safety, 6%

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Certified Executive Chef
Certified Executive Chef vs Pastry Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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