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The differences between chef/kitchen managers and kitchen leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a chef/kitchen manager has an average salary of $49,415, which is higher than the $35,678 average annual salary of a kitchen lead.
The top three skills for a chef/kitchen manager include kitchen operations, culinary and wine. The most important skills for a kitchen lead are customer service, culinary, and food products.
| Chef/Kitchen Manager | Kitchen Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $49,415 | $35,678 |
| Hourly rate | $23.76 | $17.15 |
| Growth rate | 15% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 38,242 | 56,300 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 46% | High School Diploma, 37% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A kitchen manager or chef is someone who oversees the overall operations in the kitchen as well as the food operations. Kitchen managers make certain that food and related products are well prepared, cooked, and served to customers. They maintain a fully-stocked kitchen inventory and comply with the cleanliness and safety standards. It is their responsibility to manage the kitchen staff and aid them in delivering quality food at the right time. They need to possess management skills, leadership skills, and attention to detail.
A kitchen manager acts as the overseer of food preparation and cooking. They ensure that all staff are working efficiently. They maintain the cleanliness of workstations and monitor all supplies used. To avoid lapses, they monitor the staff during cooking to ensure that the kitchen serves the best quality of food. Also, they create reports on the monthly expenses of supplies.
Chef/kitchen managers and kitchen leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chef/Kitchen Manager | Kitchen Lead | |
| Average salary | $49,415 | $35,678 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $70,000 | Between $27,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Redmond, WA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Washington |
| Best paying company | Castilleja School | Zoës Kitchen |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a chef/kitchen manager and a kitchen lead in terms of educational background:
| Chef/Kitchen Manager | Kitchen Lead | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 46% | High School Diploma, 37% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between chef/kitchen managers' and kitchen leads' demographics:
| Chef/Kitchen Manager | Kitchen Lead | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.9% Female, 20.1% | Male, 67.1% Female, 32.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 7.0% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |