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The differences between head chefs and cooking chefs can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a head chef and a cooking chef. Additionally, a head chef has an average salary of $45,470, which is higher than the $34,973 average annual salary of a cooking chef.
The top three skills for a head chef include kitchen operations, culinary and dinner service. The most important skills for a cooking chef are food service, food handling, and kitchen equipment.
| Head Chef | Cooking Chef | |
| Yearly salary | $45,470 | $34,973 |
| Hourly rate | $21.86 | $16.81 |
| Growth rate | 15% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 27,331 | 136,558 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 43% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A head chef is responsible for the overall culinary satisfaction and dining experience of the guests. Head chefs manage the food production, starting from the preparation to the final presentation. They regularly research the current food trends to adapt to their innovative expertise, creating different cuisines to meet the guests' preferences. They also manage the kitchen staff, delegate tasks, and ensure the adequacy of food ingredients and supplies. A head chef must have excellent communication and organizational skills, adhering to the highest sanitation procedures, and responding to the guests' inquiries and concerns.
A cooking chef oversees all people performing kitchen duties under their mandate. These professionals oversee timeliness, sanitary issues, ingredient preparation, meal preparation, and final presentations. Besides engaging in menu planning and creating recipes, a cooking chef also performs several administrative tasks from one day to another. They place supply orders, track inventory, calculate payroll, calculate costs, and handle complaints from the employee or customer. Moreover, a cooking chef trains the kitchen staff to ensure they perform their duties correctly.
Head chefs and cooking chefs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Head Chef | Cooking Chef | |
| Average salary | $45,470 | $34,973 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $71,000 | Between $24,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Wellesley, MA | Teaneck, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics | Memphis Country Club |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a head chef and a cooking chef in terms of educational background:
| Head Chef | Cooking Chef | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 43% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | Drexel University | Drexel University |
Here are the differences between head chefs' and cooking chefs' demographics:
| Head Chef | Cooking Chef | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.8% Female, 20.2% | Male, 76.3% Female, 23.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 11.2% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 12.0% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |