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The differences between executive chefs and pastry chef assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an executive chef and a pastry chef assistant. Additionally, an executive chef has an average salary of $59,416, which is higher than the $42,896 average annual salary of a pastry chef assistant.
The top three skills for an executive chef include culinary, food preparation and customer service. The most important skills for a pastry chef assistant are kitchen equipment, customer service, and culinary.
| Executive Chef | Pastry Chef Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $59,416 | $42,896 |
| Hourly rate | $28.57 | $20.62 |
| Growth rate | 15% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 83,085 | 19,000 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Executive chefs are considered the lead chefs in a restaurant. They manage the restaurant's kitchen, including all other chefs employed by the restaurant. Executive chefs are in charge of creating menu items and ensuring that the restaurant's menu is in line with the restaurant's identity. They handle the management of the pantry and ensure that it is well-stocked. They also ensure that all kitchen equipment and fixtures are working well. Executive chefs are responsible for training new chefs on the job to ensure consistent food quality.
Typically, a pastry chef assistant provides help in the daily operations of the pastry kitchen or bakery. Assistant chefs work with the head baker and schedule and supervise kitchen staff and other pastry chefs in their day-to-day tasks. The chefs ensure the availability of all ingredients for the preparation of pastries and any other desserts. Their responsibilities involve the maintenance of food item inventory, handling safe refrigerated and non-refrigerated item storage, and rotating stock.
Executive chefs and pastry chef assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Executive Chef | Pastry Chef Assistant | |
| Average salary | $59,416 | $42,896 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $87,000 | Between $27,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Atlantic City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Bridgewater Associates | Catholic Health East |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Construction |
There are a few differences between an executive chef and a pastry chef assistant in terms of educational background:
| Executive Chef | Pastry Chef Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | Drexel University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between executive chefs' and pastry chef assistants' demographics:
| Executive Chef | Pastry Chef Assistant | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5% | Male, 55.0% Female, 45.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 10.8% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.9% Asian, 11.3% White, 51.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |