Sous chef vs assistant chef

The differences between sous chefs and assistant 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 sous chef and an assistant chef. Additionally, a sous chef has an average salary of $48,716, which is higher than the $37,670 average annual salary of an assistant chef.

The top three skills for a sous chef include culinary, food handling and food preparation. The most important skills for an assistant chef are kitchen equipment, safety standards, and culinary.

Sous chef vs assistant chef overview

	Sous Chef	Assistant Chef
Yearly salary	$48,716	$37,670
Hourly rate	$23.42	$18.11
Growth rate	15%	15%
Number of jobs	22,393	18,054
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 51%	Associate Degree, 32%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	6	6

What does a sous chef do?

A sous chef is responsible for directing food preparation and general kitchen tasks with the supervision of an executive chef. A sous chef duties also include customizing healthy menus, maintaining quality check for foods, adhering to the highest sanitation procedures and standards, monitoring food and equipment supplies, suggesting new specialties, assisting customer's inquiries, and managing client's complaints. A sous chef must have excellent communication and decision-making skills, as well as updated with the current food trends to provide the best services for the customers.

What does an assistant chef do?

It is the responsibility of an assistant chef to support the head chef of a catering business, restaurant, cafeteria, or bakery. Assistant chefs manage inventory and ensure compliance with food safety and kitchen cleanliness standards. They assist kitchen staff in the preparation of food. To get this job, one must be trained in a culinary school, have the needed cooking skills, and must have kitchen work experience. Strong teamwork ability and flexibility to work schedule are necessary for this job.

Sous chef vs assistant chef salary

Sous chefs and assistant chefs have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Sous Chef	Assistant Chef
Average salary	$48,716	$37,670
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $70,000	Between $22,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City	Atlantic City, NJ	Atlantic City, NJ
Highest paying state	Hawaii	New Jersey
Best paying company	RH	Ncar - The National Center For Atmospheric Research
Best paying industry	Government	Hospitality

Differences between sous chef and assistant chef education

There are a few differences between a sous chef and an assistant chef in terms of educational background:

	Sous Chef	Assistant Chef
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 51%	Associate Degree, 32%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	Drexel University	Stanford University

Sous chef vs assistant chef demographics

Here are the differences between sous chefs' and assistant chefs' demographics:

	Sous Chef	Assistant Chef
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9%	Male, 71.4% Female, 28.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 11.3% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 11.0% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between sous chef and assistant chef duties and responsibilities

Sous chef example responsibilities.

Manage FOH duties, along with customer relations.
Train, mentore, manage and discipline lead chefs, associate chefs, prep cooks, pastry assistants and dishwashers.
Manage a staff of 45 union personnel in preparation of meals for hospital patients and cafeteria patrons for three meals daily.
Control food and payroll costs to achieve maximum profitability.
Manage people and oversee production of high-volume establishment for this upscale restaurant specializing in Mexican cuisine.
Train and manage all culinary personnel, supervise and coordinate all culinary activities, estimate food consumption and manage food cost.

Assistant chef example responsibilities.

Direct daily activity of staff (prep cook, dishwashers and wait staff), and receive and manage inventory.
Manage food inventory and assist chefs with menu development.
Attain a broad knowledge of ingredient functionality in diverse culinary applications and comfort in a culinary setting.
Learned the cuisine and intricacies of Tuscan style cooking as well as the influences from other regions.
Prep vegetables and meat for chefs, wash and dry dishes, cups, and utensils, and stock new shipments.
Maintain cleanliness and ensure proper preparation of orders.

Sous chef vs assistant chef skills

Common sous chef skills

Culinary, 15%
Food Handling, 8%
Food Preparation, 7%
Customer Service, 5%
Fine Dining, 5%
Food Service, 5%

Common assistant chef skills

Kitchen Equipment, 14%
Safety Standards, 13%
Culinary, 12%
Customer Service, 10%
Compassion, 7%
Kitchen Sanitation, 6%

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Sous Chef vs Assistant Chef

Updated January 8, 2025

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