Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between head cooks and chef/kitchen managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a chef/kitchen manager has an average salary of $49,415, which is higher than the $44,412 average annual salary of a head cook.
The top three skills for a head cook include kitchen equipment, meal preparation and food service. The most important skills for a chef/kitchen manager are kitchen operations, culinary, and wine.
| Head Cook | Chef/Kitchen Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $44,412 | $49,415 |
| Hourly rate | $21.35 | $23.76 |
| Growth rate | 15% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 156,227 | 38,242 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | Associate Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 42 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 6 | - |
A head cook is responsible for organizing the food preparation, organizing the kitchen operations, and ensuring the quality of the food presented. Head cooks' duties include monitoring the food inventory, creating new recipes, researching current market trends, responding to guests' inquiries and complaints, distributing kitchen tasks to the staff, and maintaining budget goals while maintaining the highest food quality. A head cook must always adhere to the sanitary procedures and hygienic standards, as well as have a broad knowledge of the food industry.
A kitchen manager or chef is someone who oversees the overall operations in the kitchen as well as the food operations. Kitchen managers make certain that food and related products are well prepared, cooked, and served to customers. They maintain a fully-stocked kitchen inventory and comply with the cleanliness and safety standards. It is their responsibility to manage the kitchen staff and aid them in delivering quality food at the right time. They need to possess management skills, leadership skills, and attention to detail.
Head cooks and chef/kitchen managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Head Cook | Chef/Kitchen Manager | |
| Average salary | $44,412 | $49,415 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $61,000 | Between $34,000 And $70,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Antonio, TX | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics | Castilleja School |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a head cook and a chef/kitchen manager in terms of educational background:
| Head Cook | Chef/Kitchen Manager | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | Associate Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | Stanford University | - |
Here are the differences between head cooks' and chef/kitchen managers' demographics:
| Head Cook | Chef/Kitchen Manager | |
| Average age | 42 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.5% Female, 36.5% | Male, 79.9% Female, 20.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 10.3% White, 57.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 10% |