Corporate executive chef vs head chef

The differences between corporate executive chefs and head 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 corporate executive chef and a head chef. Additionally, a corporate executive chef has an average salary of $77,701, which is higher than the $45,470 average annual salary of a head chef.

The top three skills for a corporate executive chef include culinary, menu development and food safety. The most important skills for a head chef are kitchen operations, culinary, and dinner service.

Corporate executive chef vs head chef overview

	Corporate Executive Chef	Head Chef
Yearly salary	$77,701	$45,470
Hourly rate	$37.36	$21.86
Growth rate	15%	15%
Number of jobs	88,029	27,331
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 57%	Associate Degree, 43%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	6	6

What does a corporate executive chef do?

A Corporate Executive Chef is responsible for the day-to-day operation and culinary standards of a restaurant. They also are responsible for the development of policies and procedures to enhance and measure quality.

What does a head chef do?

A head chef is responsible for the overall culinary satisfaction and dining experience of the guests. Head chefs manage the food production, starting from the preparation to the final presentation. They regularly research the current food trends to adapt to their innovative expertise, creating different cuisines to meet the guests' preferences. They also manage the kitchen staff, delegate tasks, and ensure the adequacy of food ingredients and supplies. A head chef must have excellent communication and organizational skills, adhering to the highest sanitation procedures, and responding to the guests' inquiries and concerns.

Corporate executive chef vs head chef salary

Corporate executive chefs and head chefs have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Corporate Executive Chef	Head Chef
Average salary	$77,701	$45,470
Salary range	Between $50,000 And $120,000	Between $28,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Wellesley, MA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Hawaii
Best paying company	Benchmark Group	Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Health Care

Differences between corporate executive chef and head chef education

There are a few differences between a corporate executive chef and a head chef in terms of educational background:

	Corporate Executive Chef	Head Chef
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 57%	Associate Degree, 43%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	Boston University	Drexel University

Corporate executive chef vs head chef demographics

Here are the differences between corporate executive chefs' and head chefs' demographics:

	Corporate Executive Chef	Head Chef
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1%	Male, 79.8% Female, 20.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 11.2% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 11.2% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between corporate executive chef and head chef duties and responsibilities

Corporate executive chef example responsibilities.

Manage 4-5 chefs , 2 caf managers , 2 meat managers and 70-80 hourly associates.
Manage a kitchen of military personal and Japanese civilian chefs.
Implement HACCP to ensure efficient, safe and sanitary food production are followed.
Develop ready-to-eat and microwavable sandwiches, wraps, pastas, soups and sauces for national and local foodservice businesses.
Oversee daily operations of the chef de cuisine driven teams.
Conduct training sessions for the staff to maintain the HACCP and ISO standards.

Head chef example responsibilities.

Hire, train, and manage a staff of cooks, also train servers and cross train dishwashers.
Manage a kitchen of military personal and Japanese civilian chefs.
Supervise, coordinate and direct all culinary activities within the food service department.
Work manned omelet and brunch stations in dining room.
Develop HACCP plans for every fresh item carry on premises.
Assist with setup and break down of equipment for parties, meetings and brunch.

Corporate executive chef vs head chef skills

Common corporate executive chef skills

Culinary, 20%
Menu Development, 8%
Food Safety, 7%
Kitchen Operations, 7%
Corporate Chef, 5%
Food Preparation, 5%

Common head chef skills

Kitchen Operations, 27%
Culinary, 9%
Dinner Service, 6%
Food Service, 5%
Cuisine, 3%
Safety Standards, 3%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Corporate Executive Chef
Corporate Executive Chef vs Head Chef

Updated January 8, 2025

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