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The differences between chefs and chef de cuisines 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 and a chef de cuisine. Additionally, a chef de cuisine has an average salary of $51,926, which is higher than the $46,824 average annual salary of a chef.
The top three skills for a chef include customer service, food handling and culinary. The most important skills for a chef de cuisine are culinary, fine dining, and kitchen operations.
| Chef | Chef De Cuisine | |
| Yearly salary | $46,824 | $51,926 |
| Hourly rate | $22.51 | $24.96 |
| Growth rate | 15% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 65,737 | 18,300 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 38% | Associate Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A chef is the master of the kitchen--someone who is creative and innovative with food. Chefs are the pride and reputation of each restaurant or dining establishments. They make sure every meal served is fresh and oversees the kitchen operation. They also create recipes, study menus, and prepare significant-high-quality dishes that represent the restaurant. They say academic requirements aren't needed, but anyone who has a passion for food and cooking can be a chef.
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.
Chefs and chef de cuisines have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chef | Chef De Cuisine | |
| Average salary | $46,824 | $51,926 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $68,000 | Between $36,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu, HI |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Bridgewater Associates | TPC Group |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a chef and a chef de cuisine in terms of educational background:
| Chef | Chef De Cuisine | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 38% | Associate Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | Drexel University | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between chefs' and chef de cuisines' demographics:
| Chef | Chef De Cuisine | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.8% Female, 25.2% | Male, 89.6% Female, 10.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 11.4% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |