Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between chef/kitchen managers and shift leaders 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 $33,841 average annual salary of a shift leader.
The top three skills for a chef/kitchen manager include kitchen operations, culinary and wine. The most important skills for a shift leader are patients, customer complaints, and customer service.
| Chef/Kitchen Manager | Shift Leader | |
| Yearly salary | $49,415 | $33,841 |
| Hourly rate | $23.76 | $16.27 |
| Growth rate | 15% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 38,242 | 229,485 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 46% | High School Diploma, 36% |
| 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.
Shift leaders are tenured or experienced employees who are assigned to oversee employees in specific work shifts. They manage team members who are assigned in their shift. They also ensure that business goals are met. Shift leaders check whether team members are working, and they ensure that they always comply with company policies and guidelines. They also monitor the performance of their employees and coach them should the employees need help in any area of their work. Shift leaders should have good communication skills, decision-making skills, and interpersonal skills.
Chef/kitchen managers and shift leaders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chef/Kitchen Manager | Shift Leader | |
| Average salary | $49,415 | $33,841 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $70,000 | Between $26,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Castilleja School | IBM |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a chef/kitchen manager and a shift leader in terms of educational background:
| Chef/Kitchen Manager | Shift Leader | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 46% | High School Diploma, 36% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between chef/kitchen managers' and shift leaders' demographics:
| Chef/Kitchen Manager | Shift Leader | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.9% Female, 20.1% | Male, 44.2% Female, 55.8% |
| 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, 10.4% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.5% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |