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The differences between pastry chef assistants and 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 pastry chef assistant and a chef. Additionally, a chef has an average salary of $46,824, which is higher than the $42,896 average annual salary of a pastry chef assistant.
The top three skills for a pastry chef assistant include kitchen equipment, customer service and culinary. The most important skills for a chef are customer service, food handling, and culinary.
| Pastry Chef Assistant | Chef | |
| Yearly salary | $42,896 | $46,824 |
| Hourly rate | $20.62 | $22.51 |
| Growth rate | 15% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 19,000 | 65,737 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | Associate Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Typically, a pastry chef assistant provides help in the daily operations of the pastry kitchen or bakery. Assistant chefs work with the head baker and schedule and supervise kitchen staff and other pastry chefs in their day-to-day tasks. The chefs ensure the availability of all ingredients for the preparation of pastries and any other desserts. Their responsibilities involve the maintenance of food item inventory, handling safe refrigerated and non-refrigerated item storage, and rotating stock.
A chef is the master of the kitchen--someone who is creative and innovative with food. Chefs are the pride and reputation of each restaurant or dining establishments. They make sure every meal served is fresh and oversees the kitchen operation. They also create recipes, study menus, and prepare significant-high-quality dishes that represent the restaurant. They say academic requirements aren't needed, but anyone who has a passion for food and cooking can be a chef.
Pastry chef assistants and chefs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Pastry Chef Assistant | Chef | |
| Average salary | $42,896 | $46,824 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $66,000 | Between $31,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Atlantic City, NJ | Urban Honolulu, HI |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Catholic Health East | Bridgewater Associates |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a pastry chef assistant and a chef in terms of educational background:
| Pastry Chef Assistant | Chef | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | Associate Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Drexel University |
Here are the differences between pastry chef assistants' and chefs' demographics:
| Pastry Chef Assistant | Chef | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.0% Female, 45.0% | Male, 74.8% Female, 25.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.9% Asian, 11.3% White, 51.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 11.4% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |