Kitchen manager/cook vs shift leader

The differences between kitchen managers/cook and shift leaders 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 $33,841 average annual salary of a shift leader.

The top three skills for a kitchen manager/cook include food preparation, food service and food orders. The most important skills for a shift leader are patients, customer complaints, and customer service.

Kitchen manager/cook vs shift leader overview

	Kitchen Manager/Cook	Shift Leader
Yearly salary	$34,683	$33,841
Hourly rate	$16.67	$16.27
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	27,963	229,485
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 36%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	-	-

Kitchen manager/cook vs shift leader salary

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

	Kitchen Manager/Cook	Shift Leader
Average salary	$34,683	$33,841
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $45,000	Between $26,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	-	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	IBM
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between kitchen manager/cook and shift leader education

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

	Kitchen Manager/Cook	Shift Leader
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 36%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Business
Most common college	-	-

Kitchen manager/cook vs shift leader demographics

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

	Kitchen Manager/Cook	Shift Leader
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 67.9% Female, 32.1%	Male, 44.2% Female, 55.8%
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, 10.4% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.5% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between kitchen manager/cook and shift leader 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.

Shift leader example responsibilities.

Prepare overall security plans and manage security operations of organization, including assignments, staffing and payroll.
Maintain maintenance and cleanliness of the facility which exceeds customer satisfaction and quality standards.
Team leadership for excellent customer service delivery during schedule shift including supervision of service associates and pharmacy technicians.
Answer all incoming calls a long with booking appointments.
Develop strategies to meet and exceed booking and sales goals.
Review daily arrivals to ensure proper handling of VIP's, return guests, groups, etc.

Kitchen manager/cook vs shift leader skills

Common kitchen manager/cook skills

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

Common shift leader skills

Patients, 9%
Customer Complaints, 9%
Customer Service, 7%
Math, 7%
Safety Standards, 6%
Cash Handling, 5%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Kitchen Manager/Cook
Kitchen Manager/Cook vs Shift Leader

Updated January 8, 2025

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