Kitchen supervisor vs chef manager

The differences between kitchen supervisors and chef managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a chef manager has an average salary of $53,470, which is higher than the $40,520 average annual salary of a kitchen supervisor.

The top three skills for a kitchen supervisor include culinary, cleanliness and food service. The most important skills for a chef manager are culinary, fine dining, and customer service.

Kitchen supervisor vs chef manager overview

	Kitchen Supervisor	Chef Manager
Yearly salary	$40,520	$53,470
Hourly rate	$19.48	$25.71
Growth rate	10%	15%
Number of jobs	66,303	22,346
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 34%	Associate Degree, 49%
Average age	37	42
Years of experience	-	6

What does a kitchen supervisor do?

A kitchen supervisor is responsible for managing the overall kitchen operations, ensuring that the kitchen employees follow sanitary procedures while doing their high-quality and maximum productivity tasks. Kitchen supervisors manage inventories, checking the adequacy of food supplies and kitchen equipment, and negotiating contracts with suppliers and third-party vendors. They also help develop marketing strategies, research the latest food trends, update menus, and create financial reports and expense forecasting. A kitchen supervisor must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially with responding to customers' inquiries and concerns and resolving complaints.

What does a chef manager do?

The primary role of a Chef Manager is to supervise food preparation. They may work in varies settings, such as restaurants, schools, and hospitals.

Kitchen supervisor vs chef manager salary

Kitchen supervisors and chef managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Kitchen Supervisor	Chef Manager
Average salary	$40,520	$53,470
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $58,000	Between $36,000 And $78,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Cherry Hill, NJ
Highest paying state	Washington	New Jersey
Best paying company	GoodCents	Alameda Health System
Best paying industry	Start-up	Professional

Differences between kitchen supervisor and chef manager education

There are a few differences between a kitchen supervisor and a chef manager in terms of educational background:

	Kitchen Supervisor	Chef Manager
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 34%	Associate Degree, 49%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	Boston University

Kitchen supervisor vs chef manager demographics

Here are the differences between kitchen supervisors' and chef managers' demographics:

	Kitchen Supervisor	Chef Manager
Average age	37	42
Gender ratio	Male, 65.0% Female, 35.0%	Male, 77.5% Female, 22.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 6.8% White, 60.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 10.4% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	10%	9%

Differences between kitchen supervisor and chef manager duties and responsibilities

Kitchen supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage grill area and demonstrate leadership.
Manage people and oversee production of high-volume establishment for this upscale restaurant specializing in Mexican cuisine.
Train and supervise all culinary employees including community service volunteers in kitchen operations and delegate daily work assignments.
Maintain kitchen and dining area under Servsafe guidelines.
Used a POS system and show advanced money management skills.
Exercise leadership skills by coordinating kitchen staff during busy times.

Chef manager example responsibilities.

Manage day to day operation and supervise the staff FOH & BOH.
Manage the daily activities and schedules of the other cooks, dishwashers, and prep support.
Manage kitchen staff, delegates responsibilities, place groceries order, prepare menus and prepare food base on recipes.
Supervise and train all.associates in food preparation, HACCP in-service training and sanitation and safety procedures.
Maintain FIFO, daily account of labor vs sales.
Receive orders/check invoices, rotate according to FIFO and organize walk in/freezer.

Kitchen supervisor vs chef manager skills

Common kitchen supervisor skills

Culinary, 16%
Cleanliness, 11%
Food Service, 10%
Food Handling, 8%
Kitchen Equipment, 7%
Customer Service, 6%

Common chef manager skills

Culinary, 19%
Fine Dining, 14%
Customer Service, 8%
ServSafe, 8%
Quality Standards, 8%
HACCP, 6%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Kitchen Supervisor
Kitchen Supervisor vs Chef Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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