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The differences between kitchen staff and kitchen leads 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 $29,816 average annual salary of a kitchen staff.
The top three skills for a kitchen staff include food handling, cleanliness and sanitation standards. The most important skills for a kitchen lead are customer service, culinary, and food products.
| Kitchen Staff | Kitchen Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $29,816 | $35,678 |
| Hourly rate | $14.33 | $17.15 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 154,513 | 56,300 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 43% | High School Diploma, 37% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
The kitchen staff consists of preparation workers who execute several routine tasks as directed by chefs, food service managers, and cooks. These works should have the ability to follow cooking instructions and deliver well-prepared meals. Their responsibilities include the cleanup of dishes, cooking equipment, and the working stations. They also take charge of food safety regulations, storing and sorting of ingredients, and preparing foodstuff.
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.
Kitchen staff and kitchen leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Kitchen Staff | Kitchen Lead | |
| Average salary | $29,816 | $35,678 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $37,000 | Between $27,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | Redmond, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | The Road Home | Zoës Kitchen |
| Best paying industry | Education | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a kitchen staff and a kitchen lead in terms of educational background:
| Kitchen Staff | Kitchen Lead | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 43% | High School Diploma, 37% |
| Most common major | Business | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between kitchen staff' and kitchen leads' demographics:
| Kitchen Staff | Kitchen Lead | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.5% Female, 43.5% | Male, 67.1% Female, 32.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 7.0% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 10% |