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The differences between chefs and pastry 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 pastry chef. Additionally, a chef has an average salary of $46,824, which is higher than the $44,879 average annual salary of a pastry chef.
The top three skills for a chef include customer service, food handling and culinary. The most important skills for a pastry chef are culinary, food handling, and customer service.
| Chef | Pastry Chef | |
| Yearly salary | $46,824 | $44,879 |
| Hourly rate | $22.51 | $21.58 |
| Growth rate | 15% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 65,737 | 18,844 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | 3 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 38% | Associate Degree, 49% |
| 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.
Pastry chefs are culinary artists specializing in the creation of desserts, bread, and sweets. They order supplies and ingredients for the restaurant, aside from creating, decorating, and presenting pastries. They are in charge of recruiting employees to aid in pastry goods production and other enterprise aspects. The skills required for this job are attention to detail, experience as a baker or any relevant role, knowledge about sanitation principles, creativity, and leadership skills.
Chefs and pastry chefs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chef | Pastry Chef | |
| Average salary | $46,824 | $44,879 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $68,000 | Between $25,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu, HI |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Bridgewater Associates | The Culinary Institute of America |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Media |
There are a few differences between a chef and a pastry chef in terms of educational background:
| Chef | Pastry Chef | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 38% | Associate Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | Drexel University | Drexel University |
Here are the differences between chefs' and pastry chefs' demographics:
| Chef | Pastry Chef | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.8% Female, 25.2% | Male, 35.7% Female, 64.3% |
| 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, 10.1% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 10.7% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |