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Chef manager vs pastry chef

The differences between chef managers 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 manager and a pastry chef. Additionally, a chef manager has an average salary of $53,470, which is higher than the $44,879 average annual salary of a pastry chef.

The top three skills for a chef manager include culinary, fine dining and customer service. The most important skills for a pastry chef are culinary, food handling, and customer service.

Chef manager vs pastry chef overview

Chef ManagerPastry Chef
Yearly salary$53,470$44,879
Hourly rate$25.71$21.58
Growth rate15%15%
Number of jobs22,34618,844
Job satisfaction-3
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 49%Associate Degree, 49%
Average age4242
Years of experience66

What does a chef manager do?

The primary role of a Chef Manager is to supervise food preparation. They may work in varies settings, such as restaurants, schools, and hospitals.

What does a pastry chef do?

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.

Chef manager vs pastry chef salary

Chef managers and pastry chefs have different pay scales, as shown below.

Chef ManagerPastry Chef
Average salary$53,470$44,879
Salary rangeBetween $36,000 And $78,000Between $25,000 And $78,000
Highest paying CityCherry Hill, NJUrban Honolulu, HI
Highest paying stateNew JerseyNew Jersey
Best paying companyAlameda Health SystemThe Culinary Institute of America
Best paying industryProfessionalMedia

Differences between chef manager and pastry chef education

There are a few differences between a chef manager and a pastry chef in terms of educational background:

Chef ManagerPastry Chef
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 49%Associate Degree, 49%
Most common majorCulinary ArtsCulinary Arts
Most common collegeBoston UniversityDrexel University

Chef manager vs pastry chef demographics

Here are the differences between chef managers' and pastry chefs' demographics:

Chef ManagerPastry Chef
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 77.5% Female, 22.5%Male, 35.7% Female, 64.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 10.4% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%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 Percentage9%9%

Differences between chef manager and pastry chef duties and responsibilities

Chef manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage day to day operation and supervise the staff FOH & BOH.
  • Manage the daily activities and schedules of the other cooks, dishwashers, and prep support.
  • Manage kitchen staff, delegates responsibilities, place groceries order, prepare menus and prepare food base on recipes.
  • Supervise and train all.associates in food preparation, HACCP in-service training and sanitation and safety procedures.
  • Maintain FIFO, daily account of labor vs sales.
  • Receive orders/check invoices, rotate according to FIFO and organize walk in/freezer.
  • Show more

Pastry chef example responsibilities.

  • Hire, schedule and manage a staff of 9 direct reports (5 in kitchen and 4 in caf).
  • Control food and payroll costs to achieve maximum profitability.
  • Follow food safety and cleanliness guidelines.
  • Work as per the HACCP standard.
  • Create specialized dessert items for wine and holiday dinners.
  • Operate blenders, mixers, grinders, slicers, and other cooking equipment.
  • Show more

Chef manager vs pastry chef skills

Common chef manager skills
  • Culinary, 19%
  • Fine Dining, 14%
  • Customer Service, 8%
  • ServSafe, 8%
  • Quality Standards, 8%
  • HACCP, 6%
Common pastry chef skills
  • Culinary, 19%
  • Food Handling, 11%
  • Customer Service, 10%
  • Food Preparation, 7%
  • Pastry Kitchen, 6%
  • Fine Dining, 6%

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