Chef de cuisine vs assistant chef

The differences between chef de cuisines and assistant 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 chef de cuisine and an assistant chef. Additionally, a chef de cuisine has an average salary of $51,926, which is higher than the $37,670 average annual salary of an assistant chef.

The top three skills for a chef de cuisine include culinary, fine dining and kitchen operations. The most important skills for an assistant chef are kitchen equipment, safety standards, and culinary.

Chef de cuisine vs assistant chef overview

	Chef De Cuisine	Assistant Chef
Yearly salary	$51,926	$37,670
Hourly rate	$24.96	$18.11
Growth rate	15%	15%
Number of jobs	18,300	18,054
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 56%	Associate Degree, 32%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	6	6

What does a chef de cuisine do?

A chef de cuisine, also known as an executive chef, oversees a kitchen's daily operations in public and private establishments to ensure food quality and efficient services. Their duties require cooking and leadership skills because they involve leading menu development and meal preparation, coordinating staff, delegating responsibilities, selecting and sourcing ingredients, and handling customer issues and concerns promptly and professionally. Moreover, a chef de cuisine leads and empowers staff to reach the kitchen's daily goals while implementing health standards and regulations.

What does an assistant chef do?

It is the responsibility of an assistant chef to support the head chef of a catering business, restaurant, cafeteria, or bakery. Assistant chefs manage inventory and ensure compliance with food safety and kitchen cleanliness standards. They assist kitchen staff in the preparation of food. To get this job, one must be trained in a culinary school, have the needed cooking skills, and must have kitchen work experience. Strong teamwork ability and flexibility to work schedule are necessary for this job.

Chef de cuisine vs assistant chef salary

Chef de cuisines and assistant chefs have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Chef De Cuisine	Assistant Chef
Average salary	$51,926	$37,670
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $74,000	Between $22,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City	Urban Honolulu, HI	Atlantic City, NJ
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New Jersey
Best paying company	TPC Group	Ncar - The National Center For Atmospheric Research
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Hospitality

Differences between chef de cuisine and assistant chef education

There are a few differences between a chef de cuisine and an assistant chef in terms of educational background:

	Chef De Cuisine	Assistant Chef
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 56%	Associate Degree, 32%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	Cornell University	Stanford University

Chef de cuisine vs assistant chef demographics

Here are the differences between chef de cuisines' and assistant chefs' demographics:

	Chef De Cuisine	Assistant Chef
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 89.6% Female, 10.4%	Male, 71.4% Female, 28.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 11.2% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 11.0% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between chef de cuisine and assistant chef duties and responsibilities

Chef de cuisine example responsibilities.

Manage the staff to insure the consistency and quality of this Chicago style bistro.
Manage BOH operations for this Michelin recommend restaurant in silicon valley
Manage cold kitchen production for a luxury hotel with a Michelin star restaurant
Train and manage kitchen personnel for both locations, supervised/coordinate all relate culinary activities; purchasing, inventory, butchering.
Work all stations; responsible for mise en place, quality of product, and maintaining sanitation standards.
Train and mentore local staff, hiring, scheduling maintain HACCP and production charts.

Assistant chef example responsibilities.

Direct daily activity of staff (prep cook, dishwashers and wait staff), and receive and manage inventory.
Manage food inventory and assist chefs with menu development.
Attain a broad knowledge of ingredient functionality in diverse culinary applications and comfort in a culinary setting.
Learned the cuisine and intricacies of Tuscan style cooking as well as the influences from other regions.
Prep vegetables and meat for chefs, wash and dry dishes, cups, and utensils, and stock new shipments.
Maintain cleanliness and ensure proper preparation of orders.

Chef de cuisine vs assistant chef skills

Common chef de cuisine skills

Culinary, 15%
Fine Dining, 7%
Kitchen Operations, 6%
Food Preparation, 6%
Customer Service, 5%
Quality Standards, 5%

Common assistant chef skills

Kitchen Equipment, 14%
Safety Standards, 13%
Culinary, 12%
Customer Service, 10%
Compassion, 7%
Kitchen Sanitation, 6%

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Chef De Cuisine
Chef De Cuisine vs Assistant Chef

Updated January 8, 2025

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