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The differences between pastry chefs and line 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 line chef. Additionally, a pastry chef has an average salary of $44,879, which is higher than the $26,651 average annual salary of a line chef.
The top three skills for a pastry chef include culinary, food handling and customer service. The most important skills for a line chef are kitchen equipment, sanitation standards, and food handling.
| Pastry Chef | Line Chef | |
| Yearly salary | $44,879 | $26,651 |
| Hourly rate | $21.58 | $12.81 |
| Growth rate | 15% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 18,844 | 144,227 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 49% | Associate Degree, 34% |
| 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.
Line Chefs are in charge of cooking or preparing meat, vegetables, soup, and other ingredients according to area guidelines. Their responsibilities include managing and supervising kitchen staff, coordinating with fellow chefs, replenishing supply inventories, and setting-up cooking areas, ensuring adequate and high-quality ingredients. Among their other usual tasks involve cutting vegetables and meat, preparing sauces, and resolving issues should any arise. Moreover, they must maintain their designated area's cleanliness, all while enforcing and adhering to the health and sanitation standards.
Pastry chefs and line chefs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Pastry Chef | Line Chef | |
| Average salary | $44,879 | $26,651 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $78,000 | Between $18,000 And $37,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | Chicopee, MA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | The Culinary Institute of America | Syracuse University |
| Best paying industry | Media | Education |
There are a few differences between a pastry chef and a line chef in terms of educational background:
| Pastry Chef | Line Chef | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 49% | Associate Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | Drexel University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between pastry chefs' and line chefs' demographics:
| Pastry Chef | Line Chef | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.7% Female, 64.3% | Male, 69.4% Female, 30.6% |
| 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, 10.3% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 10.4% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |