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The differences between food service specialists and line chefs can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food service specialist has an average salary of $29,286, which is higher than the $26,651 average annual salary of a line chef.
The top three skills for a food service specialist include kitchen equipment, preventive maintenance and MOS. The most important skills for a line chef are kitchen equipment, sanitation standards, and food handling.
| Food Service Specialist | Line Chef | |
| Yearly salary | $29,286 | $26,651 |
| Hourly rate | $14.08 | $12.81 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 95,112 | 144,227 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 35% | Associate Degree, 34% |
| Average age | 37 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
The food service specialists monitor food preparation, ensuring that the guests get their correct orders, providing them the best dining experience and satisfaction. A food service specialist takes the guests' orders, processes their payments, and serves their orders timely and efficiently. They also monitor the stock inventories, coordinate with suppliers and third-party vendors for stock requests, and assist with kitchen duties as needed, especially on high volume days. A food service specialist must have a broad knowledge of the food services industry, analyzing the current food trends to make suggestions for menus, and responding to the guests' concerns.
Line Chefs are in charge of cooking or preparing meat, vegetables, soup, and other ingredients according to area guidelines. Their responsibilities include managing and supervising kitchen staff, coordinating with fellow chefs, replenishing supply inventories, and setting-up cooking areas, ensuring adequate and high-quality ingredients. Among their other usual tasks involve cutting vegetables and meat, preparing sauces, and resolving issues should any arise. Moreover, they must maintain their designated area's cleanliness, all while enforcing and adhering to the health and sanitation standards.
Food service specialists and line chefs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Food Service Specialist | Line Chef | |
| Average salary | $29,286 | $26,651 |
| Salary range | Between $19,000 And $43,000 | Between $18,000 And $37,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Chicopee, MA |
| Highest paying state | New York | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Brookhaven National Laboratory | Syracuse University |
| Best paying industry | Government | Education |
There are a few differences between a food service specialist and a line chef in terms of educational background:
| Food Service Specialist | Line Chef | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 35% | Associate Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Business | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | - | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between food service specialists' and line chefs' demographics:
| Food Service Specialist | Line Chef | |
| Average age | 37 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.1% Female, 42.9% | Male, 69.4% Female, 30.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 6.7% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 10.4% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 9% |