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The differences between chef/kitchen managers and sous chefs 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 $48,716 average annual salary of a sous chef.
The top three skills for a chef/kitchen manager include kitchen operations, culinary and wine. The most important skills for a sous chef are culinary, food handling, and food preparation.
| Chef/Kitchen Manager | Sous Chef | |
| Yearly salary | $49,415 | $48,716 |
| Hourly rate | $23.76 | $23.42 |
| Growth rate | 15% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 38,242 | 22,393 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 46% | Associate Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 37 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
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 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.
Chef/kitchen managers and sous chefs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chef/Kitchen Manager | Sous Chef | |
| Average salary | $49,415 | $48,716 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $70,000 | Between $33,000 And $70,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Atlantic City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New York | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Castilleja School | RH |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Government |
There are a few differences between a chef/kitchen manager and a sous chef in terms of educational background:
| Chef/Kitchen Manager | Sous Chef | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 46% | Associate Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | - | Drexel University |
Here are the differences between chef/kitchen managers' and sous chefs' demographics:
| Chef/Kitchen Manager | Sous Chef | |
| Average age | 37 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.9% Female, 20.1% | Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9% |
| 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, 10.2% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 11.3% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 9% |