Kitchen chef vs assistant chef

The differences between kitchen chefs and assistant 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 kitchen chef and an assistant chef. Additionally, an assistant chef has an average salary of $37,670, which is higher than the $37,579 average annual salary of a kitchen chef.

The top three skills for a kitchen chef include culinary, food handling and quality standards. The most important skills for an assistant chef are kitchen equipment, safety standards, and culinary.

Kitchen chef vs assistant chef overview

	Kitchen Chef	Assistant Chef
Yearly salary	$37,579	$37,670
Hourly rate	$18.07	$18.11
Growth rate	15%	15%
Number of jobs	33,785	18,054
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 34%	Associate Degree, 32%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	6	6

Kitchen chef vs assistant chef salary

Kitchen chefs and assistant chefs have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Kitchen Chef	Assistant Chef
Average salary	$37,579	$37,670
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $57,000	Between $22,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City	-	Atlantic City, NJ
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	Ncar - The National Center For Atmospheric Research
Best paying industry	-	Hospitality

Differences between kitchen chef and assistant chef education

There are a few differences between a kitchen chef and an assistant chef in terms of educational background:

	Kitchen Chef	Assistant Chef
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 34%	Associate Degree, 32%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Kitchen chef vs assistant chef demographics

Here are the differences between kitchen chefs' and assistant chefs' demographics:

	Kitchen Chef	Assistant Chef
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 70.0% Female, 30.0%	Male, 71.4% Female, 28.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 12.7% White, 53.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 11.0% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between kitchen chef and assistant chef duties and responsibilities

Kitchen chef example responsibilities.

Integrate key culinary leaders into casino and food and beverage operations, achieving positive results and industry awards.
Create and prepare international cuisine for executive clientele by using ingenuity, organization, efficiency in production and attention to detail
Cook menu items on a grill, broiler, and used a deep fryer, oven, stove, and toaster.
Monitor the buffets, organize inventory, purchase orders, record temperatures, make chocolate sculptures, and sugar sculptures.

Assistant chef example responsibilities.

Direct daily activity of staff (prep cook, dishwashers and wait staff), and receive and manage inventory.
Manage food inventory and assist chefs with menu development.
Attain a broad knowledge of ingredient functionality in diverse culinary applications and comfort in a culinary setting.
Learned the cuisine and intricacies of Tuscan style cooking as well as the influences from other regions.
Prep vegetables and meat for chefs, wash and dry dishes, cups, and utensils, and stock new shipments.
Maintain cleanliness and ensure proper preparation of orders.

Kitchen chef vs assistant chef skills

Common kitchen chef skills

Culinary, 16%
Food Handling, 13%
Quality Standards, 11%
Kitchen Equipment, 6%
Fine Dining, 5%
Food Storage, 5%

Common assistant chef skills

Kitchen Equipment, 14%
Safety Standards, 13%
Culinary, 12%
Customer Service, 10%
Compassion, 7%
Kitchen Sanitation, 6%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Kitchen Chef
Kitchen Chef vs Assistant Chef

Updated January 8, 2025

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