The world operates on order and hierarchy and one of the sectors of the world where this plays out is a restaurant kitchen. If you’re familiar with food shows or movies, you’ve probably heard the word ‘sous chef’ used more than once. Reading this, you’re probably remembering when someone has volunteered to be your sous chef in your kitchen or maybe you’re simply aspiring to make a career out of culinary school and need to know your potential earnings as a sous chef. Whatever the case, you’ll find your answers in this article. Let us know more detail about ‘Salaries For Sous Chef’.
Salaries For Sous Chef
Sous chefs or sous-chef-related jobs earn an average of $36,195 per year or $19 per hour. Indeed.com also states that a sous chef earns an average of $49,385 yearly and $56,092 in the United States. This may vary depending on a sous chef’s education, experience, location, and the type of establishment.
First, let’s talk about who a sous chef is?
Now, we all know that even the best superheroes need a sidekick or an assistant. In kitchens, every aspect of cooking has a chef who specializes in certain cuisines or specialties like meats, pastry, fish, and more, and all these are done in ranks or hierarchically order. With this rank, a sous chef is second in command to the head or executive chef, or as we mentioned earlier, the executive chef’s sidekick. The sous chef assists the head chef in some administrative tasks and can take on even the roles of the head chef in his absence.
So, if a person volunteers next time to be your ‘sous chef’ you should understand that the person simply wants to assist you. However, in larger kitchens or restaurants, a sous chef’s duty goes beyond simply assisting. Some of these responsibilities include:
– Planning and overseeing the activities of subordinates, delegating tasks, ensuring the kitchen operates promptly, and establishing working schedules among others.
– Assisting and advising the head chef in creating new dishes or menu items and helping in the preparation and design of menus.
– Standing in for the head chef when he/she is not available, managing budgets & stocks, ordering supplies and ingredients e t c.
– Building a business network of suppliers and vendors.
– Ensuring quality standards are met.
– Training and mentoring young chefs and other kitchen staff members.
– Ensuring safety and hygiene standards in the kitchen.
These and more are the tasking responsibilities of a sous chef.
How much do sous chefs earn?
Speaking of the type of establishment, here are some top workplaces for sous chefs and their pay in the United States, according to Indeed:
– True food kitchen pays about $73,011
– Sheraton pays $71,168 per year and an average of $23.75 per hour.
Considering the location, some cities pay more than others. For instance, sous chefs in New York earn about $70,736 per year. In San Francisco, sous chefs make up to $69,096 per year, while in Los Angeles, sous chefs earn about $67,044 yearly.
Also, sous chefs tend to earn more based on certain skills and qualifications. For instance, sous chefs with restaurant experience earn 6.90% more than the average base salary of $56,092 in the United States. Indeed also states that sous chefs with food safety certifications, earn about 28.43% more than the average base salary in the United States.
Your salary as a sous chef, most times, is tied to your years of experience. For instance, entry-level sous chefs earn about $29,984, while those with over 20 years of culinary experience earn about $79,108 in the United States.
Becoming a Sous Chef
Now you know what a sous chef entails, how much you can earn as one, and the factors that affect the salaries of sous chefs. Therefore, you need to understand that you don’t suddenly become a sous chef, as soon as you choose this career. You’ll have to work up your way to the sous chef position. Here are a few steps, qualifications, and skills required to become a sous chef or raise your income as a sous chef.
– Education: Although you do not necessarily need a culinary degree to become a sous chef, it’ll help to obtain a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts or attend a culinary school to learn the basics and hone your skills.
– Apprenticeship: This is a great addition to your school training program as it will help build your experience in the kitchen.
– Certification: Though this isn’t necessary, taking courses and obtaining certifications will add to your level of training and portray you as a professional. An easy certification you can obtain as a sous chef is ServeSafe.
Some skills you’ll find helpful as a sous chef include: banquet experience, communication skills, cost control, food preparation and service, administrative skills, culinary experience, and computer skills amongst others.
Also, being a sous chef, you must be able to approach a stressful situation calmly and communicate instructions clearly and promptly.
Furthermore, sous chefs usually do not have chances of incentives but can be promoted when they’ve demonstrated adequate skills and potential, managed the kitchen smoothly, and taken on more management tasks. Also, remember that as a sous chef, you can advance your career to become a chef de cuisine or head chef.
Workplaces, Job Opportunities, and Benefits of Being a Sous Chef
To become a sous chef, you have to put yourself out there, and by that we mean, applying for job opportunities. As a sous chef, you can find jobs with restaurants, hotels, private companies, or your restaurant.
Some of the benefits you get to enjoy as a sous chef include a flexible schedule and spending account, health insurance, life insurance, opportunities for advancement, paid training, retirement plan, and parental leave amongst others.
Conclusion
Now we’ve learnt about ‘Salaries For Sous Chef’, Choosing a career in culinary requires determination, perseverance, and skills to attain a position as high as a sous chef position and to progress in your career. In this article, we’ve discussed how a restaurant kitchen operates hierarchically, what position a sous chef falls into, a sous chef’s job description, and how much sous chefs earn.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What is the highest pay for sous chefs?
According to Zippa, a sous chef can earn as high as $70,943 and this depends on factors like geographical location, experience, and type of establishment. Comparably.com also states that sous chefs in the US could earn as high as $84,062.
- How can sous chefs increase their salaries?
Sous chefs can increase their salaries by gaining more experience or working in high-paying cities. You could also improve your skills and take on more administrative tasks at your workplace.
