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The differences between chefs and cooking 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 and a cooking chef. Additionally, a chef has an average salary of $46,824, which is higher than the $34,973 average annual salary of a cooking chef.
The top three skills for a chef include customer service, food handling and culinary. The most important skills for a cooking chef are food service, food handling, and kitchen equipment.
| Chef | Cooking Chef | |
| Yearly salary | $46,824 | $34,973 |
| Hourly rate | $22.51 | $16.81 |
| Growth rate | 15% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 65,737 | 136,558 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 38% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| 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 cooking chef oversees all people performing kitchen duties under their mandate. These professionals oversee timeliness, sanitary issues, ingredient preparation, meal preparation, and final presentations. Besides engaging in menu planning and creating recipes, a cooking chef also performs several administrative tasks from one day to another. They place supply orders, track inventory, calculate payroll, calculate costs, and handle complaints from the employee or customer. Moreover, a cooking chef trains the kitchen staff to ensure they perform their duties correctly.
Chefs and cooking chefs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chef | Cooking Chef | |
| Average salary | $46,824 | $34,973 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $68,000 | Between $24,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | Teaneck, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Bridgewater Associates | Memphis Country Club |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a chef and a cooking chef in terms of educational background:
| Chef | Cooking Chef | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 38% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | Drexel University | Drexel University |
Here are the differences between chefs' and cooking chefs' demographics:
| Chef | Cooking Chef | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.8% Female, 25.2% | Male, 76.3% Female, 23.7% |
| 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, 10.6% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 12.0% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |