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Pastry chef vs food service coordinator

The differences between pastry chefs and food service coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a pastry chef has an average salary of $44,879, which is higher than the $32,085 average annual salary of a food service coordinator.

The top three skills for a pastry chef include culinary, food handling and customer service. The most important skills for a food service coordinator are food preparation, customer service, and food handling.

Pastry chef vs food service coordinator overview

Pastry ChefFood Service Coordinator
Yearly salary$44,879$32,085
Hourly rate$21.58$15.43
Growth rate15%2%
Number of jobs18,84479,537
Job satisfaction3-
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age4237
Years of experience6-

What does a pastry chef do?

Pastry chefs are culinary artists specializing in the creation of desserts, bread, and sweets. They order supplies and ingredients for the restaurant, aside from creating, decorating, and presenting pastries. They are in charge of recruiting employees to aid in pastry goods production and other enterprise aspects. The skills required for this job are attention to detail, experience as a baker or any relevant role, knowledge about sanitation principles, creativity, and leadership skills.

What does a food service coordinator do?

Food service coordinators are responsible for organizing the food preparation for a considerable section of a huge operation such as the bakery, catering, and pantry section. They arrange, prepare, and synchronize the preparation of main entrees. Also, they coordinate and prepare all snacks and meals at a distinct facility as well as supervise the performance of food service specialists and student assistants in preparing food. Qualifications for the job include agility and physical strength to lift and reach kitchen materials and supplies as well as working in a hot environment while standing for a long period.

Pastry chef vs food service coordinator salary

Pastry chefs and food service coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.

Pastry ChefFood Service Coordinator
Average salary$44,879$32,085
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $78,000Between $23,000 And $43,000
Highest paying CityUrban Honolulu, HISacramento, CA
Highest paying stateNew JerseyRhode Island
Best paying companyThe Culinary Institute of AmericaAshland MA Police
Best paying industryMediaMedia

Differences between pastry chef and food service coordinator education

There are a few differences between a pastry chef and a food service coordinator in terms of educational background:

Pastry ChefFood Service Coordinator
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorCulinary ArtsBusiness
Most common collegeDrexel University-

Pastry chef vs food service coordinator demographics

Here are the differences between pastry chefs' and food service coordinators' demographics:

Pastry ChefFood Service Coordinator
Average age4237
Gender ratioMale, 35.7% Female, 64.3%Male, 35.1% Female, 64.9%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 7.5% White, 57.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage9%6%

Differences between pastry chef and food service coordinator duties and responsibilities

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

Food service coordinator example responsibilities.

  • Manage and coordinate the workload of the release team members and are responsible for organizing and hosting all production release windows.
  • Enhance and enrich HACCP knowledge and practices.
  • Record each meal recieve into the POS system.
  • Work with staff to provide culinary and nutritional teaching to club members.
  • Perform food samples and laboratory testing, and prepare corresponding reports following HACCP guidelines.
  • Monitor patients diets and patient satisfaction.
  • Show more

Pastry chef vs food service coordinator skills

Common pastry chef skills
  • Culinary, 19%
  • Food Handling, 11%
  • Customer Service, 10%
  • Food Preparation, 7%
  • Pastry Kitchen, 6%
  • Fine Dining, 6%
Common food service coordinator skills
  • Food Preparation, 9%
  • Customer Service, 8%
  • Food Handling, 7%
  • Meal Preparation, 6%
  • Food Safety, 5%
  • Kitchen Equipment, 5%

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