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The differences between kitchen leads and caterers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a kitchen lead has an average salary of $35,678, which is higher than the $28,891 average annual salary of a caterer.
The top three skills for a kitchen lead include customer service, culinary and food products. The most important skills for a caterer are food service, kitchen equipment, and food delivery.
| Kitchen Lead | Caterer | |
| Yearly salary | $35,678 | $28,891 |
| Hourly rate | $17.15 | $13.89 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 56,300 | 1,648 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A kitchen manager acts as the overseer of food preparation and cooking. They ensure that all staff are working efficiently. They maintain the cleanliness of workstations and monitor all supplies used. To avoid lapses, they monitor the staff during cooking to ensure that the kitchen serves the best quality of food. Also, they create reports on the monthly expenses of supplies.
A caterer is responsible for monitoring food preparation and presentation, ensuring the adequacy and accuracy of food stock based on the clients' specifications and guest count. Caterers often work with clients for special occasions and events, identify their needs, including the menu and nutritional requirements. They arrange food services from the dinnerware to choosing the appropriate staff to help with assisting the food preparation in the event's location. A caterer should maintain the highest sanitary standards at all times to guarantee the foods' safety, as well as showcase communication skills when responding to the clients' inquiries and concerns.
Kitchen leads and caterers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Kitchen Lead | Caterer | |
| Average salary | $35,678 | $28,891 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $45,000 | Between $22,000 And $36,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redmond, WA | Beverly, MA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New York |
| Best paying company | Zoës Kitchen | The College of St. Scholastica |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a kitchen lead and a caterer in terms of educational background:
| Kitchen Lead | Caterer | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between kitchen leads' and caterers' demographics:
| Kitchen Lead | Caterer | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.1% Female, 32.9% | Male, 43.0% Female, 57.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 7.0% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 6.1% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |