Kitchen manager/cook vs caterer

The differences between kitchen managers/cook and caterers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a kitchen manager/cook has an average salary of $34,683, which is higher than the $28,891 average annual salary of a caterer.

The top three skills for a kitchen manager/cook include food preparation, food service and food orders. The most important skills for a caterer are food service, kitchen equipment, and food delivery.

Kitchen manager/cook vs caterer overview

	Kitchen Manager/Cook	Caterer
Yearly salary	$34,683	$28,891
Hourly rate	$16.67	$13.89
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	27,963	1,648
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	-	-

Kitchen manager/cook vs caterer salary

Kitchen managers/cook and caterers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Kitchen Manager/Cook	Caterer
Average salary	$34,683	$28,891
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $45,000	Between $22,000 And $36,000
Highest paying City	-	Beverly, MA
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	The College of St. Scholastica
Best paying industry	-	Hospitality

Differences between kitchen manager/cook and caterer education

There are a few differences between a kitchen manager/cook and a caterer in terms of educational background:

	Kitchen Manager/Cook	Caterer
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Business
Most common college	-	-

Kitchen manager/cook vs caterer demographics

Here are the differences between kitchen managers/cook' and caterers' demographics:

	Kitchen Manager/Cook	Caterer
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 67.9% Female, 32.1%	Male, 43.0% Female, 57.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 7.2% White, 61.3% 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%

Differences between kitchen manager/cook and caterer duties and responsibilities

Kitchen manager/cook example responsibilities.

Manage kitchen, cashier, prepare sandwiches, clean up, stock merchandise and change fryers.
Manage kitchen with experience on a flat top and char broiler, running fryers and using other instruments.
Train and manage kitchen personnel and supervise/coordinate all relate culinary activities; estimate food consumption and requisition of food.
Cleaned/Sanitize kitchen, dishes and dining area to ServSafe standards.
Train and manage kitchen personnel and supervise/coordinate all relate culinary activities; estimate food consumption and requisition of food.
Maintain kitchen in all aspects; operate grill, fryer, steam table and dishwasher.

Caterer example responsibilities.

Help serve foods from buffet to ADM employees.
Plan and prepare meals for the local Headstart program.
Set up's and breaking down of parties, service, bartending
Set up tables, action stations, buffets, service carts, dessert table/carts and cordial carts.
Serve and wait on diners in traditional sit-down meal settings as well as buffets and drink bars.
Perform bartending for many events, often individually.

Kitchen manager/cook vs caterer skills

Common kitchen manager/cook skills

Food Preparation, 12%
Food Service, 9%
Food Orders, 7%
Kitchen Equipment, 7%
POS, 5%
Quality Food, 4%

Common caterer skills

Food Service, 28%
Kitchen Equipment, 20%
Food Delivery, 8%
Banquet Service, 7%
Bartending, 5%
Fine Dining, 4%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Kitchen Manager/Cook
Kitchen Manager/Cook vs Caterer

Updated January 8, 2025

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