Chief cook vs cook manager

The differences between chief cooks and cook managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a chief cook and a cook manager. Additionally, a chief cook has an average salary of $38,867, which is higher than the $36,668 average annual salary of a cook manager.

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

Chief cook vs cook manager overview

	Chief Cook	Cook Manager
Yearly salary	$38,867	$36,668
Hourly rate	$18.69	$17.63
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	159,663	12,383
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	High School Diploma, 39%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Chief cook vs cook manager salary

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

	Chief Cook	Cook Manager
Average salary	$38,867	$36,668
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $51,000	Between $26,000 And $50,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between chief cook and cook manager education

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

	Chief Cook	Cook Manager
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	High School Diploma, 39%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Business
Most common college	-	-

Chief cook vs cook manager demographics

Here are the differences between chief cooks' and cook managers' demographics:

	Chief Cook	Cook Manager
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 78.6% Female, 21.4%	Male, 59.7% Female, 40.3%
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, 9.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 7.4% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between chief cook and cook manager 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.

Cook manager example responsibilities.

Manage food expo; facilitate food temp logs; creation of menu specials; management and supervision of production staff
Utilize FIFO and organize shelves.
Educate and confirm employees follow ServSafe procedures
Utilize fryers, broilers, grills, ovens and other industrial cooking equipment.
Operate large volume cooking equipment such as grills, deep fat fryers, and griddles.
Train and certify in ServSafe food handling, storage, and preparation, and communicate these skills to educate kitchen staff.

Chief cook vs cook manager skills

Common chief cook skills

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

Common cook manager skills

Kitchen Equipment, 33%
Customer Service, 20%
Food Service, 5%
Payroll, 5%
Food Preparation, 3%
Customer Complaints, 3%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Chief Cook
Chief Cook vs Cook Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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