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The differences between executive chefs and pastry chefs 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. Additionally, an executive chef has an average salary of $59,416, which is higher than the $44,879 average annual salary of a pastry chef.
The top three skills for an executive chef include culinary, food preparation and customer service. The most important skills for a pastry chef are culinary, food handling, and customer service.
| Executive Chef | Pastry Chef | |
| Yearly salary | $59,416 | $44,879 |
| Hourly rate | $28.57 | $21.58 |
| Growth rate | 15% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 83,085 | 18,844 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 3 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 56% | Associate Degree, 49% |
| 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.
Pastry chefs are culinary artists specializing in the creation of desserts, bread, and sweets. They order supplies and ingredients for the restaurant, aside from creating, decorating, and presenting pastries. They are in charge of recruiting employees to aid in pastry goods production and other enterprise aspects. The skills required for this job are attention to detail, experience as a baker or any relevant role, knowledge about sanitation principles, creativity, and leadership skills.
Executive chefs and pastry chefs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Executive Chef | Pastry Chef | |
| Average salary | $59,416 | $44,879 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $87,000 | Between $25,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Bridgewater Associates | The Culinary Institute of America |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Media |
There are a few differences between an executive chef and a pastry chef in terms of educational background:
| Executive Chef | Pastry Chef | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 56% | Associate Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | Drexel University | Drexel University |
Here are the differences between executive chefs' and pastry chefs' demographics:
| Executive Chef | Pastry Chef | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5% | Male, 35.7% Female, 64.3% |
| 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, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 10.7% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |