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The differences between pastry chefs and head 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 and a head chef. Additionally, a head chef has an average salary of $45,470, which is higher than the $44,879 average annual salary of a pastry chef.
The top three skills for a pastry chef include culinary, food handling and customer service. The most important skills for a head chef are kitchen operations, culinary, and dinner service.
| Pastry Chef | Head Chef | |
| Yearly salary | $44,879 | $45,470 |
| Hourly rate | $21.58 | $21.86 |
| Growth rate | 15% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 18,844 | 27,331 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 49% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
A head chef is responsible for the overall culinary satisfaction and dining experience of the guests. Head chefs manage the food production, starting from the preparation to the final presentation. They regularly research the current food trends to adapt to their innovative expertise, creating different cuisines to meet the guests' preferences. They also manage the kitchen staff, delegate tasks, and ensure the adequacy of food ingredients and supplies. A head chef must have excellent communication and organizational skills, adhering to the highest sanitation procedures, and responding to the guests' inquiries and concerns.
Pastry chefs and head chefs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Pastry Chef | Head Chef | |
| Average salary | $44,879 | $45,470 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $78,000 | Between $28,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | Wellesley, MA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | The Culinary Institute of America | Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics |
| Best paying industry | Media | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a pastry chef and a head chef in terms of educational background:
| Pastry Chef | Head Chef | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 49% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | Drexel University | Drexel University |
Here are the differences between pastry chefs' and head chefs' demographics:
| Pastry Chef | Head Chef | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.7% Female, 64.3% | Male, 79.8% Female, 20.2% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 11.2% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |