Sous chef demographics and statistics in the US
Sous chef demographics research summary. Zippia estimates sous chef demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our sous chef estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about sous chefs after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 111,638 sous chefs currently employed in the United States.
- 17.9% of all sous chefs are women, while 82.1% are men.
- The average sous chef age is 42 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of sous chefs is White (54.7%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (17.8%), Asian (11.3%) and Black or African American (10.2%).
- In 2022, women earned 92% of what men earned.
- 9% of all sous chefs are LGBT.
- Sous chefs are 81% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Sous chef demographics by:
Sous chef gender statistics
17.9% of sous chefs are women and 82.1% of sous chefs are men.
- Male, 82.1%
- Female, 17.9%
Sous chef gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 82.1% |
| Female | 17.9% |
Sous chef gender pay gap
Women earn 92¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$49,959
Female income
$45,836
Sous chef gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in sous chef positions over time. Currently, 17.9% of sous chefs are female.
Sous chef gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 84.47% | 15.53% |
| 2011 | 84.92% | 15.08% |
| 2012 | 85.03% | 14.97% |
| 2013 | 85.15% | 14.85% |
| 2014 | 83.58% | 16.42% |
| 2015 | 85.01% | 14.99% |
| 2016 | 83.75% | 16.25% |
| 2017 | 84.09% | 15.91% |
| 2018 | 83.13% | 16.87% |
| 2019 | 84.08% | 15.92% |
| 2020 | 82.59% | 17.41% |
| 2021 | 82.13% | 17.87% |
Sous chef related jobs gender ratio
We compared sous chefs with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, corporate executive chef and chef de cuisine have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Lunchroom Monitor | 5% | 95% |
| Waiter/Waitress, Captain | 13% | 87% |
| Lunchroom Supervisor | 13% | 87% |
| Sous Chef | 82% | 18% |
| Executive Chef | 88% | 12% |
| Chef De Cuisine | 90% | 10% |
| Corporate Executive Chef | 91% | 9% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Sous chef demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among sous chefs is White, which makes up 54.7% of all sous chefs. Comparatively, 17.8% of sous chefs are Hispanic or Latino and 11.3% of sous chefs are Asian.
- White, 54.7%
- Hispanic or Latino, 17.8%
- Asian, 11.3%
- Black or African American, 10.2%
- Unknown, 5.3%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
Sous chef race
| Sous chef race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 54.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 17.8% |
| Asian | 11.3% |
| Black or African American | 10.2% |
| Unknown | 5.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.7% |
Sous chef race and ethnicity over time
See how sous chef racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Sous chef race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 60.90% | 11.75% | 8.55% | 15.88% |
| 2011 | 61.05% | 12.32% | 7.93% | 15.57% |
| 2012 | 61.06% | 11.16% | 7.99% | 16.27% |
| 2013 | 62.20% | 11.39% | 7.32% | 15.66% |
| 2014 | 60.85% | 10.98% | 8.41% | 16.32% |
| 2015 | 59.31% | 10.63% | 8.47% | 18.09% |
| 2016 | 60.81% | 10.63% | 8.08% | 16.66% |
| 2017 | 57.75% | 10.20% | 9.99% | 18.51% |
| 2018 | 59.36% | 10.49% | 7.79% | 19.12% |
| 2019 | 59.14% | 10.32% | 9.00% | 18.36% |
| 2020 | 55.98% | 9.59% | 9.35% | 19.10% |
| 2021 | 54.69% | 10.23% | 11.31% | 17.76% |
Sous chef wage gap by race
According to our data, white sous chefs have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Asian sous chefs have the lowest average salary at $48,439.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $49,618 |
| White | $51,453 |
| Black or African American | $50,463 |
| Asian | $48,439 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $49,870 |
Average sous chef age
See how the average age of sous chefs varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Sous chef age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 43 | 46.5 |
| Unknown | 38 | 36.5 |
| Asian | 44 | 49 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 40 | 43 |
| White | 40 | 41 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 40 |
Sous chef age breakdown
The average age of sous chefs is 40+ years years old, representing 56% of the sous chef population.
Sous chef age breakdown
| Sous Chef Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 56% |
| 30-40 years | 28% |
| 20-30 years | 15% |
Sous chef educational attainment
The most common degree for sous chefs is associate degree, with 51% of sous chefs earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 24% and bachelor's degree degree at 13%.
- Associate, 51%
- Bachelor's, 24%
- High School Diploma, 13%
- Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 6%
Sous chefs by degree level
| Sous chef degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Associate | 51% |
| Bachelor's | 24% |
| High School Diploma | 13% |
| Diploma | 6% |
| Other Degrees | 6% |
Sous chef jobs you might like
Sous chef wage gap by degree level
According to the data, sous chefs with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $53,330 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, sous chefs earn a median annual income of $52,611 compared to $48,313 for sous chefs with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $48,313 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $52,611 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $53,330 |
Sous chef employment statistics
Most sous chefs work for a private in the hospitality industry.
Company size where sous chefs work
Below, you can see the size of companies where sous chefs work.
Sous chef jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 7% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 17% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 21% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 11% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 27% |
| > 10,000 employees | 17% |
Sous chef jobs by company type
Employees with the sous chef job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most sous chefs prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Sous chef jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 4% |
| Public | 15% |
| Private | 81% |
| Government | 1% |
Sous chef jobs by industry
The most common industries for sous chefs are hospitality, retail and manufacturing.
Sous chef industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Hospitality | 61% |
| Retail | 6% |
| Education | 4% |
| Media | 4% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Health Care | 4% |
| Professional | 4% |
| Fortune 500 | 3% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Real Estate | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Government | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
Sous chef turnover and employment statistics
Sous chef unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for sous chefs between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Sous chef unemployment rate by year
| Year | Sous chef unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 9.68% |
| 2011 | 10.91% |
| 2012 | 6.88% |
| 2013 | 7.77% |
| 2014 | 5.16% |
| 2015 | 5.14% |
| 2016 | 4.13% |
| 2017 | 3.91% |
| 2018 | 3.66% |
| 2019 | 3.42% |
| 2020 | 10.00% |
| 2021 | 11.33% |
Average sous chef tenure
The average sous chef stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 44,162 sous chefs resumes in Zippia's database.
Sous chef tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 23% |
| 1-2 years | 43% |
| 3-4 years | 15% |
| 5-7 years | 12% |
| 8-10 years | 3% |
| 11+ years | 4% |
Sous chef LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of sous chefs that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Food Service Worker | 6.78% | 169,323 |
| Waitstaff | 7.02% | 130,467 |
| Event Host | 7.29% | 15,092 |
| Food Runner/Busser | 7.36% | 124,680 |
| Lead Bartender | 7.68% | 28,748 |
| Dining Room Supervisor | 8.43% | 30,925 |
| Sous Chef | 8.58% | - |
Similar sous chef jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Food Service Worker | 6.78% | 169,323 |
| Waitstaff | 7.02% | 130,467 |
| Event Host | 7.29% | 15,092 |
| Food Runner/Busser | 7.36% | 124,680 |
| Lead Bartender | 7.68% | 28,748 |
| Dining Room Supervisor | 8.43% | 30,925 |
Foreign languages spoken by sous chefs
The most common foreign language among sous chefs is Spanish at 48.4%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 18.7% and Italian is the third-most popular at 12.5%.
- Spanish, 48.4%
- French, 18.7%
- Italian, 12.5%
- German, 4.2%
- Japanese, 2.8%
- Other, 13.4%
Sous chef languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 48.4% |
| French | 18.7% |
| Italian | 12.5% |
| German | 4.2% |
| Japanese | 2.8% |
| Other | 13.4% |
