Sous Chef
Impact: Direct
Supervises kitchen staff, manages food preparation, and ensures high standards of food quality and presentation while supporting menu development and inventory management as the second-in-command in a culinary team.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Extensive
- Team vs solo
- Team
- Client facing
- Rarely
- Impact visibility
- High
- Travel
- Low
- Schedule flexibility
- Rigid
- Remote work
- On-site Only
- Typical work hours
- 50-60 hours per week
- Stress level
- High
At a glance
- Median salary
- $58,000
- Entry-level
- $45,000
- Senior
- $75,000
- Growth by 2033
- 6%
- Demand
- Stable
- Freelance potential
- Moderate
- Salary growth potential
- Medium
- Typical student debt
- $20,000 - $40,000
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- Culinary Techniques
- Menu Planning
- Inventory Management
- Food Safety
- Cost Control
- Staff Supervision
Soft skills
- Leadership
- Communication
- Problem-solving
- Adaptability
- Time Management
- Creativity
Technical complexity: High
How to get there
- Minimum education
- Associate's degree or culinary school certificate
- Licensing
- No
- Years to mid-career
- 5-8 years
- Years to senior
- 10-15 years
- Career switching
- Moderate
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
Where you can go from here
Typical progression
- Commis Chef
- Chef de Partie
- Sous Chef
- Head Chef
- Executive Chef
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- Low
- AI disruption risk
- Low
- Demand trend
- Stable
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 4/10
- Meaning
- 4/10
- Work-life balance
- 3/10
- Prestige
- 7/10
- Social perception
- High