Post job

Pastry chef assistant vs prep chef

The differences between pastry chef assistants and prep 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 prep chef. Additionally, a pastry chef assistant has an average salary of $42,896, which is higher than the $25,941 average annual salary of a prep chef.

The top three skills for a pastry chef assistant include kitchen equipment, customer service and culinary. The most important skills for a prep chef are kitchen equipment, dishes, and cleanliness.

Pastry chef assistant vs prep chef overview

Pastry Chef AssistantPrep Chef
Yearly salary$42,896$25,941
Hourly rate$20.62$12.47
Growth rate15%15%
Number of jobs19,00052,624
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 32%High School Diploma, 31%
Average age4242
Years of experience66

Pastry chef assistant vs prep chef salary

Pastry chef assistants and prep chefs have different pay scales, as shown below.

Pastry Chef AssistantPrep Chef
Average salary$42,896$25,941
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $66,000Between $17,000 And $39,000
Highest paying CityAtlantic City, NJ-
Highest paying stateNew Jersey-
Best paying companyCatholic Health East-
Best paying industryConstruction-

Differences between pastry chef assistant and prep chef education

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

Pastry Chef AssistantPrep Chef
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 32%High School Diploma, 31%
Most common majorCulinary ArtsCulinary Arts
Most common collegeStanford UniversityDrexel University

Pastry chef assistant vs prep chef demographics

Here are the differences between pastry chef assistants' and prep chefs' demographics:

Pastry Chef AssistantPrep Chef
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 55.0% Female, 45.0%Male, 67.1% Female, 32.9%
Race ratioBlack 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, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 10.2% White, 56.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between pastry chef assistant and prep chef duties and responsibilities

Pastry chef assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage plating and garnishing for all dishes.
  • Manage a kitchen of military personal and Japanese civilian chefs.
  • Control and prevent food waste following HACCP.
  • Review daily stock of case items to determine items to refill using date, texture and FIFO standards.
  • Do all the ordering for the bakery, help with the scheduling, do the HACCP for food safety.
  • Maintain and practice FIFO systems at all times as well as date, label, initial and rotate all necessary items.
  • Show more

Prep chef example responsibilities.

  • Manage a kitchen of military personal and Japanese civilian chefs.
  • Work using fryers, boilers, grill, ovens, steamers, mixers.
  • Instruct new employees in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, and presentation of food.
  • Maintain highest level of cleanliness and sanitation.
  • Maintain cleanliness of station, ensuring sanitary conditions.
  • Create and prepare international cuisine for executive clientele by using ingenuity, organization, efficiency in production and attention to detail
  • Show more

Pastry chef assistant vs prep chef skills

Common pastry chef assistant skills
  • Kitchen Equipment, 18%
  • Customer Service, 14%
  • Culinary, 11%
  • ServSafe, 7%
  • Meal Preparation, 5%
  • Steamers, 5%
Common prep chef skills
  • Kitchen Equipment, 33%
  • Dishes, 30%
  • Cleanliness, 18%
  • Food Service, 10%
  • Dinner Service, 2%
  • Prep List, 1%

Browse food preparation and restaurant jobs