Chef de cuisine vs cook

The differences between chef de cuisines and 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 chef de cuisine, becoming a cook takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a chef de cuisine has an average salary of $51,926, which is higher than the $31,803 average annual salary of a cook.

The top three skills for a chef de cuisine include culinary, fine dining and kitchen operations. The most important skills for a cook are food handling, food service, and cleanliness.

Chef de cuisine vs cook overview

	Chef De Cuisine	Cook
Yearly salary	$51,926	$31,803
Hourly rate	$24.96	$15.29
Growth rate	15%	16%
Number of jobs	18,300	184,818
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 56%	High School Diploma, 45%
Average age	42	38
Years of experience	6	4

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 a cook do?

Cooks are responsible for preparing meals for guests or employers. They must be knowledgeable about the different recipes and ingredients needed. They are also responsible for managing the inventory and ensuring that the pantry is well-stocked. They prepare meals from scratch, cutting ingredients, measuring them, and following recipes. Cooks should be creative, especially when ingredients are lacking, and they must find alternatives that will not compromise the food taste. They should be precise, imaginative, and patient. Cooks should also have good time management skills and decision-making skills.

Chef de cuisine vs cook salary

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

	Chef De Cuisine	Cook
Average salary	$51,926	$31,803
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $74,000	Between $25,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Urban Honolulu, HI	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Hawaii
Best paying company	TPC Group	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Government

Differences between chef de cuisine and cook education

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

	Chef De Cuisine	Cook
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 56%	High School Diploma, 45%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	Cornell University	-

Chef de cuisine vs cook demographics

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

	Chef De Cuisine	Cook
Average age	42	38
Gender ratio	Male, 89.6% Female, 10.4%	Male, 70.2% Female, 29.8%
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, 10.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 8.5% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	9%	6%

Differences between chef de cuisine and cook 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.

Cook example responsibilities.

Achieve completion to cook, prep and dish meticulous meals to an immense amount of customers with proficient dexterity quality.
Organize production and set up broiler station for lunch shift, manage grill with 30-40 steaks at varying temps and cuts.
Lead cook line and instruct cooks and other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, and presentation of dishes.
Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Develop ability to manage multiple stations simultaneously while maintaining high levels of culinary excellence.
Operate large volume cooking equipment such as grills, deep fryers, and griddles.

Chef de cuisine vs cook skills

Common chef de cuisine skills

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

Common cook skills

Food Handling, 14%
Food Service, 10%
Cleanliness, 10%
Kitchen Equipment, 9%
Basic Math, 7%
Culinary, 6%

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Chef De Cuisine
Chef De Cuisine vs Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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