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Master chef vs sous chef

The differences between master chefs and sous 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 sous chef. Additionally, a sous chef has an average salary of $48,716, 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 sous chef are culinary, food handling, and food preparation.

Master chef vs sous chef overview

Master ChefSous Chef
Yearly salary$42,525$48,716
Hourly rate$20.44$23.42
Growth rate15%15%
Number of jobs26,51722,393
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 36%Associate Degree, 51%
Average age4242
Years of experience66

Master chef vs sous chef salary

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

Master ChefSous Chef
Average salary$42,525$48,716
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $68,000Between $33,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City-Atlantic City, NJ
Highest paying state-Hawaii
Best paying company-RH
Best paying industry-Government

Differences between master chef and sous chef education

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

Master ChefSous Chef
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 36%Associate Degree, 51%
Most common majorCulinary ArtsCulinary Arts
Most common collegeDrexel UniversityDrexel University

Master chef vs sous chef demographics

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

Master ChefSous Chef
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 66.8% Female, 33.2%Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9%
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, 10.2% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 11.3% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between master chef and sous 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.

Sous chef example responsibilities.

  • Manage FOH duties, along with customer relations.
  • Train, mentore, manage and discipline lead chefs, associate chefs, prep cooks, pastry assistants and dishwashers.
  • Manage a staff of 45 union personnel in preparation of meals for hospital patients and cafeteria patrons for three meals daily.
  • Control food and payroll costs to achieve maximum profitability.
  • Manage people and oversee production of high-volume establishment for this upscale restaurant specializing in Mexican cuisine.
  • Train and manage all culinary personnel, supervise and coordinate all culinary activities, estimate food consumption and manage food cost.
  • Show more

Master chef vs sous chef skills

Common master chef skills
  • Dinner Service, 32%
  • Food Products, 24%
  • Cuisine, 24%
  • Food Service, 12%
  • BBQ, 9%
Common sous chef skills
  • Culinary, 15%
  • Food Handling, 8%
  • Food Preparation, 7%
  • Customer Service, 5%
  • Fine Dining, 5%
  • Food Service, 5%

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