When the executive chef isn't in the kitchen, the sous chef is running the show. From making sure that high-quality meals get out to diners quickly, to managing staff and ordering supplies and ingredients, the sous chef can have a lot on his or her plate.
That's a lot of responsibility for a role with an average starting salary of less than $30,000, according to Payscale. For about half of sous chefs, that salary has to stretch even further, since they don't get health benefits.
For Kenneth Massover, the sous chef at the Ritz Carlton in New York, the workday starts around 5:30 a.m. That's when he starts accepting food deliveries and making arrangements to cover any workers who have called out. Then the breakfast rush starts, and he's working non-stop until dinner time.
"It's 60 or 70 hours per week," Massover says. "I really don't sleep that much."
No matter how frantic it gets in the kitchen, sous chefs have to keep safety top of mind. It's on them to help minimize worker accidents and make sure food is fresh and cooked at the right temperature so that it's safe to eat.
While keeping the kitchen running smoothly -- and on budget -- can be taxing, Massover says the role is also rewarding. "I like seeing the smiles on [customer's] faces," he said.
