Sous chef vs head chef

The differences between sous 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 sous chef and a head chef. Additionally, a sous chef has an average salary of $48,716, which is higher than the $45,470 average annual salary of a head chef.

The top three skills for a sous chef include culinary, food handling and food preparation. The most important skills for a head chef are kitchen operations, culinary, and dinner service.

Sous chef vs head chef overview

	Sous Chef	Head Chef
Yearly salary	$48,716	$45,470
Hourly rate	$23.42	$21.86
Growth rate	15%	15%
Number of jobs	22,393	27,331
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 51%	Associate Degree, 43%
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 a head chef do?

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.

Sous chef vs head chef salary

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

	Sous Chef	Head Chef
Average salary	$48,716	$45,470
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $70,000	Between $28,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	Atlantic City, NJ	Wellesley, MA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Hawaii
Best paying company	RH	Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
Best paying industry	Government	Health Care

Differences between sous chef and head chef education

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

	Sous Chef	Head Chef
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 51%	Associate Degree, 43%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	Drexel University	Drexel University

Sous chef vs head chef demographics

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

	Sous Chef	Head Chef
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9%	Male, 79.8% Female, 20.2%
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, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 11.2% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between sous chef and head 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.

Head chef example responsibilities.

Hire, train, and manage a staff of cooks, also train servers and cross train dishwashers.
Manage a kitchen of military personal and Japanese civilian chefs.
Supervise, coordinate and direct all culinary activities within the food service department.
Work manned omelet and brunch stations in dining room.
Develop HACCP plans for every fresh item carry on premises.
Assist with setup and break down of equipment for parties, meetings and brunch.

Sous chef vs head chef skills

Common sous chef skills

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

Common head chef skills

Kitchen Operations, 27%
Culinary, 9%
Dinner Service, 6%
Food Service, 5%
Cuisine, 3%
Safety Standards, 3%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Sous Chef
Sous Chef vs Head Chef

Updated January 8, 2025

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