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The differences between head chefs and pastry cooks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a head chef, becoming a pastry cook takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a head chef has an average salary of $45,470, which is higher than the $34,858 average annual salary of a pastry cook.
The top three skills for a head chef include kitchen operations, culinary and dinner service. The most important skills for a pastry cook are culinary, cleanliness, and food handling.
| Head Chef | Pastry Cook | |
| Yearly salary | $45,470 | $34,858 |
| Hourly rate | $21.86 | $16.76 |
| Growth rate | 15% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 27,331 | 136,754 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 43% | Associate Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 42 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
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.
The Pastry Cook's responsibilities include preparing quality pastry items such as breakfast items, desserts, breads, ice creams, creams, simple syrups, amenities, and others. They are also responsible for minimizing waste and maintaining control to attain forecasted food cost.
Head chefs and pastry cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Head Chef | Pastry Cook | |
| Average salary | $45,470 | $34,858 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $71,000 | Between $27,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | Wellesley, MA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics | Sailfish Club of Florida |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a head chef and a pastry cook in terms of educational background:
| Head Chef | Pastry Cook | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 43% | Associate Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | Drexel University | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between head chefs' and pastry cooks' demographics:
| Head Chef | Pastry Cook | |
| Average age | 42 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.8% Female, 20.2% | Male, 29.8% Female, 70.2% |
| 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, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 22.5% Asian, 9.6% White, 51.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 6% |