Kitchen worker vs kitchen chef

The differences between kitchen workers and kitchen chefs can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a kitchen chef has an average salary of $37,579, which is higher than the $28,720 average annual salary of a kitchen worker.

The top three skills for a kitchen worker include cleanliness, food handling and kitchen equipment. The most important skills for a kitchen chef are culinary, food handling, and quality standards.

Kitchen worker vs kitchen chef overview

	Kitchen Worker	Kitchen Chef
Yearly salary	$28,720	$37,579
Hourly rate	$13.81	$18.07
Growth rate	2%	15%
Number of jobs	86,773	33,785
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 44%	Associate Degree, 34%
Average age	37	42
Years of experience	-	6

Kitchen worker vs kitchen chef salary

Kitchen workers and kitchen chefs have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Kitchen Worker	Kitchen Chef
Average salary	$28,720	$37,579
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $36,000	Between $24,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	Santa Rosa, CA	-
Highest paying state	Washington	-
Best paying company	Kemps	-
Best paying industry	Education	-

Differences between kitchen worker and kitchen chef education

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

	Kitchen Worker	Kitchen Chef
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 44%	Associate Degree, 34%
Most common major	Business	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	Stanford University

Kitchen worker vs kitchen chef demographics

Here are the differences between kitchen workers' and kitchen chefs' demographics:

	Kitchen Worker	Kitchen Chef
Average age	37	42
Gender ratio	Male, 61.0% Female, 39.0%	Male, 70.0% Female, 30.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 7.0% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 12.7% White, 53.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	9%

Differences between kitchen worker and kitchen chef duties and responsibilities

Kitchen worker example responsibilities.

Ensure cleanliness of surroundings and sterilization/sanitation of kitchen prep area and food trays.
Clean floors, dishes, stoves and pots.
Prepare for opening the next morning by cleaning and shutting down fryers and broiler.
Work well with other employees-Maintain cleanliness of areas assigned-perform a variety of services-follow property policies and procedures-oversee own responsibilities
Remove wash dishware, flatware, and glassware from dishwasher and stack them according to size and likeness for future use.
Sanitize heavy equipment including dishwasher, mixer and slicer.

Kitchen chef example responsibilities.

Integrate key culinary leaders into casino and food and beverage operations, achieving positive results and industry awards.
Create and prepare international cuisine for executive clientele by using ingenuity, organization, efficiency in production and attention to detail
Cook menu items on a grill, broiler, and used a deep fryer, oven, stove, and toaster.
Monitor the buffets, organize inventory, purchase orders, record temperatures, make chocolate sculptures, and sugar sculptures.

Kitchen worker vs kitchen chef skills

Common kitchen worker skills

Cleanliness, 17%
Food Handling, 13%
Kitchen Equipment, 12%
Food Service, 10%
Customer Service, 8%
Patients, 8%

Common kitchen chef skills

Culinary, 16%
Food Handling, 13%
Quality Standards, 11%
Kitchen Equipment, 6%
Fine Dining, 5%
Food Storage, 5%

Kitchen Worker vs. similar jobs

Kitchen Worker related careers

Kitchen Worker related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Kitchen Worker
Kitchen Worker vs Kitchen Chef

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse food preparation and restaurant jobs