Chef de partie vs pastry cook

The differences between chef de parties 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 chef de partie, becoming a pastry cook takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a chef de partie has an average salary of $39,938, which is higher than the $34,858 average annual salary of a pastry cook.

The top three skills for a chef de partie include culinary, kitchen equipment and cleanliness. The most important skills for a pastry cook are culinary, cleanliness, and food handling.

Chef de partie vs pastry cook overview

	Chef De Partie	Pastry Cook
Yearly salary	$39,938	$34,858
Hourly rate	$19.20	$16.76
Growth rate	15%	16%
Number of jobs	18,913	136,754
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 46%	Associate Degree, 51%
Average age	42	38
Years of experience	6	4

What does a chef de partie do?

A Chef De Partie is responsible for supervising a section of the kitchen, such as pastry, butchery, fish, or sauces. They enforce strict health and hygiene standards.

What does a pastry cook do?

The Pastry Cook's responsibilities include preparing quality pastry items such as breakfast items, desserts, breads, ice creams, creams, simple syrups, amenities, and others. They are also responsible for minimizing waste and maintaining control to attain forecasted food cost.

Chef de partie vs pastry cook salary

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

	Chef De Partie	Pastry Cook
Average salary	$39,938	$34,858
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $64,000	Between $27,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	Concord, NH	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Hawaii
Best paying company	Itron	Sailfish Club of Florida
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Hospitality

Differences between chef de partie and pastry cook education

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

	Chef De Partie	Pastry Cook
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 46%	Associate Degree, 51%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	Cornell University	Cornell University

Chef de partie vs pastry cook demographics

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

	Chef De Partie	Pastry Cook
Average age	42	38
Gender ratio	Male, 81.7% Female, 18.3%	Male, 29.8% Female, 70.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 15.3% White, 49.1% 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 chef de partie and pastry cook duties and responsibilities

Chef de partie example responsibilities.

Manage all sections of the kitchen such as sauce, Thai, cuisine, Arabic, and grill.
Manage cold kitchen production for a luxury hotel with a Michelin star restaurant
Look after the kitchen cleaning (HACCP).
Handle ordering and receiving using HACCP.
Design menu items that pair with the currents wine offerings of the winery.
Develop and expand knowledge of French cuisine in a kitchen environment requiring the highest levels of consistency and precision.

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.

Chef de partie vs pastry cook skills

Common chef de partie skills

Culinary, 14%
Kitchen Equipment, 10%
Cleanliness, 9%
Food Preparation, 7%
Fine Dining, 6%
Cuisine, 6%

Common pastry cook skills

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

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Chef De Partie
Chef De Partie vs Pastry Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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