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The differences between chefs and sous 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 sous chef. Additionally, a sous chef has an average salary of $48,716, 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 sous chef are culinary, food handling, and food preparation.
| Chef | Sous Chef | |
| Yearly salary | $46,824 | $48,716 |
| Hourly rate | $22.51 | $23.42 |
| Growth rate | 15% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 65,737 | 22,393 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 38% | Associate Degree, 51% |
| 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 sous chef is responsible for directing food preparation and general kitchen tasks with the supervision of an executive chef. A sous chef duties also include customizing healthy menus, maintaining quality check for foods, adhering to the highest sanitation procedures and standards, monitoring food and equipment supplies, suggesting new specialties, assisting customer's inquiries, and managing client's complaints. A sous chef must have excellent communication and decision-making skills, as well as updated with the current food trends to provide the best services for the customers.
Chefs and sous chefs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chef | Sous Chef | |
| Average salary | $46,824 | $48,716 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $68,000 | Between $33,000 And $70,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | Atlantic City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Bridgewater Associates | RH |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Government |
There are a few differences between a chef and a sous chef in terms of educational background:
| Chef | Sous Chef | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 38% | Associate Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | Drexel University | Drexel University |
Here are the differences between chefs' and sous chefs' demographics:
| Chef | Sous Chef | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.8% Female, 25.2% | Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9% |
| 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, 10.2% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 11.3% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |