Chief cook vs chef

The differences between chief cooks and chefs can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a chief cook, becoming a chef takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a chef has an average salary of $46,824, which is higher than the $38,867 average annual salary of a chief cook.

The top three skills for a chief cook include meal preparation, kitchen equipment and cleanliness. The most important skills for a chef are customer service, food handling, and culinary.

Chief cook vs chef overview

	Chief Cook	Chef
Yearly salary	$38,867	$46,824
Hourly rate	$18.69	$22.51
Growth rate	16%	15%
Number of jobs	159,663	65,737
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Associate Degree, 38%
Average age	38	42
Years of experience	4	6

Chief cook vs chef salary

Chief cooks and chefs have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Chief Cook	Chef
Average salary	$38,867	$46,824
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $51,000	Between $31,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	-	Urban Honolulu, HI
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	Bridgewater Associates
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between chief cook and chef education

There are a few differences between a chief cook and a chef in terms of educational background:

	Chief Cook	Chef
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Associate Degree, 38%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	Drexel University

Chief cook vs chef demographics

Here are the differences between chief cooks' and chefs' demographics:

	Chief Cook	Chef
Average age	38	42
Gender ratio	Male, 78.6% Female, 21.4%	Male, 74.8% Female, 25.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 9.0% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%	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%
LGBT Percentage	6%	9%

Differences between chief cook and chef duties and responsibilities

Chief cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Demand cleanliness of galley and equipment while assisting in meal planning and inventory management.
Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Operate commercial dishwasher and ensure kitchen area are clean and sanitary at all times, catering to following shift crew members.
Display leadership abilities and responsibility by training new employees.

Chef example responsibilities.

Prep; cook; deliver and manage off site catering events per BEO orders.
Integrate key culinary leaders into casino and food and beverage operations, achieving positive results and industry awards.
Prepare any there require drinks or food that is necessary for that BEO.
Train all BOH employees on new recipes and procedures of preparation for all menu items
Maximize productivity, profit and loss with continual on the job training of BOH staff.
Follow mandated health regulations with a HACCP program and proper sanctification procedures.

Chief cook vs chef skills

Common chief cook skills

Meal Preparation, 21%
Kitchen Equipment, 17%
Cleanliness, 13%
Food Safety, 12%
Food Handling, 8%
Menu Planning, 6%

Common chef skills

Customer Service, 13%
Food Handling, 12%
Culinary, 11%
Food Service, 8%
Kitchen Operations, 6%
Kitchen Equipment, 4%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Chief Cook
Chief Cook vs Chef

Updated January 8, 2025

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