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The differences between food service associates and chef de cuisines can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a chef de cuisine has an average salary of $51,926, which is higher than the $31,642 average annual salary of a food service associate.
The top three skills for a food service associate include patients, food handling and excellent interpersonal. The most important skills for a chef de cuisine are culinary, fine dining, and kitchen operations.
| Food Service Associate | Chef De Cuisine | |
| Yearly salary | $31,642 | $51,926 |
| Hourly rate | $15.21 | $24.96 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 64,167 | 18,300 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Associate Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 37 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
A food service associate performs fundamental functions in the food industry. Food service associates prepare and serve food items. They cater to special events, which involve facility preparation, food presentation maintenance, and setting up tables. Their duties include cleaning preparation and service equipment. They restock the work stations for the essential supplies. The skills they need to perform their job include customer service, teamwork, work with diverse cultural, ethnic, and academic backgrounds, and learn safety and health regulations.
A chef de cuisine, also known as an executive chef, oversees a kitchen's daily operations in public and private establishments to ensure food quality and efficient services. Their duties require cooking and leadership skills because they involve leading menu development and meal preparation, coordinating staff, delegating responsibilities, selecting and sourcing ingredients, and handling customer issues and concerns promptly and professionally. Moreover, a chef de cuisine leads and empowers staff to reach the kitchen's daily goals while implementing health standards and regulations.
Food service associates and chef de cuisines have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Food Service Associate | Chef De Cuisine | |
| Average salary | $31,642 | $51,926 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $39,000 | Between $36,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Urban Honolulu, HI |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Maine Health/maine Mental Health Partners | TPC Group |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a food service associate and a chef de cuisine in terms of educational background:
| Food Service Associate | Chef De Cuisine | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Associate Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Business | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | - | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between food service associates' and chef de cuisines' demographics:
| Food Service Associate | Chef De Cuisine | |
| Average age | 37 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.0% Female, 62.0% | Male, 89.6% Female, 10.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 7.3% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 11.2% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 9% |