Sous Chef Job Profile: One Step from the Top

by Jane Greer

As a sous chef you'll be supervised only by the executive chef and may be asked to perform any executive chef tasks. These tasks include managing other chefs and cooks, planning menus, ordering supplies, maintaining sanitation and cleanliness, and overseeing the consistent quality of the food.

Sous Chef: A Day in the Life

Because sous chefs are involved in every aspect of the kitchen's operation, you'll work long hours on your feet and get few days off. There are times when you may be the first to arrive in the morning and the last to leave at night. On the other hand, you'll have a great deal of freedom to manage your shift or station with minimal supervision and great latitude in decision-making.

Sous Chef Culinary Training Requirements

Many sous chefs plan to become executive chefs. A culinary school education is not mandatory, but it can pave the way for increasingly responsible positions and will help you get the necessary on-the-job experience. The American Culinary Federation's certification for sous chefs requires either five years of experience as a professional cook, or three years of experience and at least an associate's degree from a culinary program. Becoming certified may enhance your job opportunities, and a culinary school degree may help you gain the critical on-the-job experience needed to become certified.

Culinary training is available in a short series of classes, two-year programs that yield an associate's degree, or four-year baccalaureate programs. The short programs teach the basics of good nutrition, food safety, and basic food preparation methods. The longer programs offer courses in advanced cooking methods, banquets and catering, foods from around the world, purchasing and inventory, and restaurant bookkeeping. Most of the longer programs will help you find an appropriate place to do the requisite internship.

Sous Chef Salary Information

Your salary as a sous chef will depend on which region of the country or world you work in, as well as your restaurant and employer. You will probably be paid most at jobs in fashionable full-service restaurants in a hotel, resort, or big city. In May 2007, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for chefs and head cooks was $37,160, and the highest 10 percent of chefs and head cooks earned in excess of $64,000. With the right qualifications and in the right job, you could earn a salary at the top of the scale.

Sources

• American Culinary Federation
• National Restaurant Association
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

About the author:
Jane Greer is a freelance writer, editor, and communication consultant.