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Master chef vs pastry chef

The differences between master chefs and pastry chefs can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a master chef and a pastry chef. Additionally, a pastry chef has an average salary of $44,879, which is higher than the $42,525 average annual salary of a master chef.

The top three skills for a master chef include dinner service, food products and cuisine. The most important skills for a pastry chef are culinary, food handling, and customer service.

Master chef vs pastry chef overview

Master ChefPastry Chef
Yearly salary$42,525$44,879
Hourly rate$20.44$21.58
Growth rate15%15%
Number of jobs26,51718,844
Job satisfaction-3
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 36%Associate Degree, 49%
Average age4242
Years of experience66

Master chef vs pastry chef salary

Master chefs and pastry chefs have different pay scales, as shown below.

Master ChefPastry Chef
Average salary$42,525$44,879
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $68,000Between $25,000 And $78,000
Highest paying City-Urban Honolulu, HI
Highest paying state-New Jersey
Best paying company-The Culinary Institute of America
Best paying industry-Media

Differences between master chef and pastry chef education

There are a few differences between a master chef and a pastry chef in terms of educational background:

Master ChefPastry Chef
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 36%Associate Degree, 49%
Most common majorCulinary ArtsCulinary Arts
Most common collegeDrexel UniversityDrexel University

Master chef vs pastry chef demographics

Here are the differences between master chefs' and pastry chefs' demographics:

Master ChefPastry Chef
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 66.8% Female, 33.2%Male, 35.7% Female, 64.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 12.4% White, 53.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 10.7% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between master chef and pastry chef duties and responsibilities

Master chef example responsibilities.

  • Integrate key culinary leaders into casino and food and beverage operations, achieving positive results and industry awards.
  • Serve American traditional cuisine in a family, shared-plate orientation while providing excellent customer service and mingling with high priority customers.
  • Specialize in Italian, Mediterranean and French/Classical bistro establishments.

Pastry chef example responsibilities.

  • Hire, schedule and manage a staff of 9 direct reports (5 in kitchen and 4 in caf).
  • Control food and payroll costs to achieve maximum profitability.
  • Follow food safety and cleanliness guidelines.
  • Work as per the HACCP standard.
  • Create specialized dessert items for wine and holiday dinners.
  • Operate blenders, mixers, grinders, slicers, and other cooking equipment.
  • Show more

Master chef vs pastry chef skills

Common master chef skills
  • Dinner Service, 32%
  • Food Products, 24%
  • Cuisine, 24%
  • Food Service, 12%
  • BBQ, 9%
Common pastry chef skills
  • Culinary, 19%
  • Food Handling, 11%
  • Customer Service, 10%
  • Food Preparation, 7%
  • Pastry Kitchen, 6%
  • Fine Dining, 6%

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