Sous chef vs private chef

The differences between sous chefs and private 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 private chef. Additionally, a private chef has an average salary of $51,657, which is higher than the $48,716 average annual salary of a sous chef.

The top three skills for a sous chef include culinary, food handling and food preparation. The most important skills for a private chef are kitchen equipment, culinary, and cuisine.

Sous chef vs private chef overview

	Sous Chef	Private Chef
Yearly salary	$48,716	$51,657
Hourly rate	$23.42	$24.84
Growth rate	15%	15%
Number of jobs	22,393	20,132
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 51%	Associate Degree, 48%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	6	6

Sous chef vs private chef salary

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

	Sous Chef	Private Chef
Average salary	$48,716	$51,657
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $70,000	Between $34,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	Atlantic City, NJ	-
Highest paying state	Hawaii	-
Best paying company	RH	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between sous chef and private chef education

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

	Sous Chef	Private Chef
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 51%	Associate Degree, 48%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	Drexel University	Cornell University

Sous chef vs private chef demographics

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

	Sous Chef	Private Chef
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9%	Male, 58.8% Female, 41.2%
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, 10.1% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between sous chef and private 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.

Private chef example responsibilities.

Control food and payroll costs to achieve maximum profitability.
Prepare innovative vegan and children's menus.
Provide demonstrations, caterings, and in-home cooking classes.
Shop for groceries on daily basis for each day's meals.
Source the freshest suppliers, procurement facilities, local farmers and groceries.
Tailor gluten-free and vegan offerings for special needs and provide child friendly-healthy snacks.

Sous chef vs private chef skills

Common sous chef skills

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

Common private chef skills

Kitchen Equipment, 20%
Culinary, 13%
Cuisine, 7%
Food Preparation, 6%
Fine Dining, 4%
Diet Restrictions, 4%

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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