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The differences between pastry cooks and line chefs can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a pastry cook, becoming a line chef takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a pastry cook has an average salary of $34,858, which is higher than the $26,651 average annual salary of a line chef.
The top three skills for a pastry cook include culinary, cleanliness and food handling. The most important skills for a line chef are kitchen equipment, sanitation standards, and food handling.
| Pastry Cook | Line Chef | |
| Yearly salary | $34,858 | $26,651 |
| Hourly rate | $16.76 | $12.81 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 136,754 | 144,227 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 51% | Associate Degree, 34% |
| Average age | 38 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
The Pastry Cook's responsibilities include preparing quality pastry items such as breakfast items, desserts, breads, ice creams, creams, simple syrups, amenities, and others. They are also responsible for minimizing waste and maintaining control to attain forecasted food cost.
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 cooks and line chefs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Pastry Cook | Line Chef | |
| Average salary | $34,858 | $26,651 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $44,000 | Between $18,000 And $37,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Chicopee, MA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Sailfish Club of Florida | Syracuse University |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Education |
There are a few differences between a pastry cook and a line chef in terms of educational background:
| Pastry Cook | Line Chef | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 51% | Associate Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | Cornell University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between pastry cooks' and line chefs' demographics:
| Pastry Cook | Line Chef | |
| Average age | 38 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.8% Female, 70.2% | Male, 69.4% Female, 30.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 22.5% Asian, 9.6% White, 51.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% | 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 | 6% | 9% |