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The differences between food scientists and chefs can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a food scientist, becoming a chef takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a food scientist has an average salary of $74,345, which is higher than the $46,824 average annual salary of a chef.
The top three skills for a food scientist include product development, project management and food safety. The most important skills for a chef are customer service, food handling, and culinary.
| Food Scientist | Chef | |
| Yearly salary | $74,345 | $46,824 |
| Hourly rate | $35.74 | $22.51 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 93,145 | 65,737 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Associate Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A food scientists' job is primarily to improve food in terms of quality and packaging and create new food products. This job may include ensuring products comply with health and safety standards as well as developing excellent quality food processing, storage, and transportation procedures. They will collaborate with project groups to make new products starting from conceptualization to commercialization. Moreover, they work on the release of potential brands and improve nutritional quality, especially the flavor and texture of food. Also, they assist the company in leading product improvements and innovations.
A chef is the master of the kitchen--someone who is creative and innovative with food. Chefs are the pride and reputation of each restaurant or dining establishments. They make sure every meal served is fresh and oversees the kitchen operation. They also create recipes, study menus, and prepare significant-high-quality dishes that represent the restaurant. They say academic requirements aren't needed, but anyone who has a passion for food and cooking can be a chef.
Food scientists and chefs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Food Scientist | Chef | |
| Average salary | $74,345 | $46,824 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $121,000 | Between $31,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Napa, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI |
| Highest paying state | Ohio | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | LexisNexis Reed Tech | Bridgewater Associates |
| Best paying industry | Education | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a food scientist and a chef in terms of educational background:
| Food Scientist | Chef | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Associate Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Food Science | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | Cornell University | Drexel University |
Here are the differences between food scientists' and chefs' demographics:
| Food Scientist | Chef | |
| Average age | 40 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6% | Male, 74.8% Female, 25.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 11.9% White, 73.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 11.4% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 19% | 9% |