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The differences between culinary chefs and prep 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 culinary chef and a prep chef. Additionally, a culinary chef has an average salary of $49,417, which is higher than the $25,941 average annual salary of a prep chef.
The top three skills for a culinary chef include culinary, fine dining and food service. The most important skills for a prep chef are kitchen equipment, dishes, and cleanliness.
| Culinary Chef | Prep Chef | |
| Yearly salary | $49,417 | $25,941 |
| Hourly rate | $23.76 | $12.47 |
| Growth rate | 15% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 20,066 | 52,624 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 46% | High School Diploma, 31% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Culinary chefs and prep chefs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Culinary Chef | Prep Chef | |
| Average salary | $49,417 | $25,941 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $70,000 | Between $17,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a culinary chef and a prep chef in terms of educational background:
| Culinary Chef | Prep Chef | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 46% | High School Diploma, 31% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | Boston University | Drexel University |
Here are the differences between culinary chefs' and prep chefs' demographics:
| Culinary Chef | Prep Chef | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.9% Female, 36.1% | Male, 67.1% Female, 32.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 11.3% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 10.2% White, 56.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |