# Chef salary vs hourly



## freshbaked (Jun 20, 2016)

So a little bit about my situation...
Im 22, female, and I was the sous chef at a new concept before we opened, 100% involved in all menu planning, kitchen organization/design and hiring. The exec chef left 3 weeks before opening day and the owners asked me to step up and be exec. It was my first sous chef postion, let alone my first exec Postion. I accepted the postion and worked my butt off, working 70+ hours a week to get the entire staff trained. Up until about a month ago, it was just me and my sous chef. I hired this other line cook who was VERY experience, and the owners actually asked him to become the senior executive chef to help grow the restaurant and hopefully have more locations within the year. I am still the executive chef, but this chef is MY exec, so Essentially I am his sous chef. 

I am on hourly making $20 and $30 at overtime. I was promised a raise at opening (10 weeks ago) and that didnt happen. I asked 3 weeks after opening and they said they were talking about it... I didnt bring it up because I was focused on my work and kind of forgot...plus i was making a killing on OT... then I found out that my fish cutter is making $20 and I got PISSED. Anyways, I went to the GM (who started less than a month ago) and he said that he is working on getting me on salary... my question is.. what do you think would be a fair salary? I am wayyyy overdue for a raise as it is so it would need to be a raise & salary but I am worried they are going to pay me like a sous... but they are running 50+% of my recipes and I do ALL of the foh and boh ordering 6 days a week, making boh schedule, inventory, creating daily specials, etc. I still have 100% exec responsibilities but I am technically 2nd in command under my senior exec... 


How are salarys calcualted? 40 hours + 10 overtime at &___/hour??


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

I hate to be the one who says it, but the only time you have a decent chance at negotiating a salary is before you sign on. 

Personally, I'd take the o.t. and the experience and shut up for maybe a year or so, then I'd look for a new job where I could use the newly gained experience and the grand total earnings as tools to negotiate a salary.

That being said, once on salary, expect to work 100 hrs/ wk during December, and 50-80 the rest of the year barring any staffing problems or cash flow problems. The grass is never greener on the other side, but at least with hourly you get o.t. and a half decent chance at some kind of social life. 

Titles mean didly-squat. The owners will only value and compensate you what you are worth once the kitchen is making money.

Hope I don't come across as an rectal orifice, but thats just the way things are.....


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## chefwriter (Oct 31, 2012)

Thanks Foodpump. I didn't want to be the first to answer this one. You said it better than I was going to. 

And I'd love to be getting $20hr and $30 for overtime. At that rate you can call me anything you want. I don't think anyone in my area gets that.


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## someday (Aug 15, 2003)

freshbaked said:


> So a little bit about my situation...
> Im 22, female, and I was the sous chef at a new concept before we opened, 100% involved in all menu planning, kitchen organization/design and hiring. The exec chef left 3 weeks before opening day and the owners asked me to step up and be exec. It was my first sous chef postion, let alone my first exec Postion. I accepted the postion and worked my butt off, working 70+ hours a week to get the entire staff trained. Up until about a month ago, it was just me and my sous chef. I hired this other line cook who was VERY experience, and the owners actually asked him to become the senior executive chef to help grow the restaurant and hopefully have more locations within the year. I am still the executive chef, but this chef is MY exec, so Essentially I am his sous chef.
> 
> I am on hourly making $20 and $30 at overtime. I was promised a raise at opening (10 weeks ago) and that didnt happen. I asked 3 weeks after opening and they said they were talking about it... I didnt bring it up because I was focused on my work and kind of forgot...plus i was making a killing on OT... then I found out that my fish cutter is making $20 and I got PISSED. Anyways, I went to the GM (who started less than a month ago) and he said that he is working on getting me on salary... my question is.. what do you think would be a fair salary? I am wayyyy overdue for a raise as it is so it would need to be a raise & salary but I am worried they are going to pay me like a sous... but they are running 50+% of my recipes and I do ALL of the foh and boh ordering 6 days a week, making boh schedule, inventory, creating daily specials, etc. I still have 100% exec responsibilities but I am technically 2nd in command under my senior exec...
> ...


You are 22, make 20 dollars an hour, and are upset about what exactly? You must make close to 60k a year. That is the upper end for exec. chef for a small, independent restaurant, especially one just getting off the ground. Some chefs make more, but those are generally chefs of multi-unit outlets, country clubs, hotels, corporate gigs, etc.

I don't understand what your issue is? You seem to get paid very well for what you do...there are a lot of people on this forum who would like to get paid like that.


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## freshbaked (Jun 20, 2016)

Sorry, I dont think I made myself clear. My point was they want to put my on salary and am curious what is reasonable for this situation


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

I would expect that you will be offered around $57,2000. I wouldn't expect job and/or business security though because paying you ($57,200), plus a senior executive chef (God only knows how much), plus a sous chef ($??.00) plus a fish cutter ($20.00 hr), plus etc. doesn't bode well for prospects of business longevity.


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## jimyra (Jun 23, 2015)

I agree with all of the above.  What I would like to know is what is the concept and where are you located?  Be ready for the unexpected owners will work you, promise you,  and replace and dump you.


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## chefbillyb (Feb 8, 2009)

I can't wait to see when all the love stops and someone looks at P&L. I can already hear someone saying the BOH labor needs to be cut by 25 to 50%......In many cases the people who worked their butts off to open a restaurant aren't around a year later.


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

ChefBillyB said:


> I can't wait to see when all the love stops and someone looks at P&L. I can already hear someone saying the BOH labor needs to be cut by 25 to 50%......In many cases the people who worked their butts off to open a restaurant aren't around a year later.


Right?

mimi


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## grande (May 14, 2014)

ChefBillyB hit the nail on the head. My guess would be that once they are up and running they will trim the fat heavily. Not trying to be rude, but it is a definate possibility.
It's hard to say what your average salary might be without knowing where you are; in answer to your otherquestion, salaries are usually presented to me as a yearly sum, and one calculates the hourly rate at their own risk. You are legit probably making more money on hourly with overtime than they will be able to offer you. If you worked 70 hours a week all year, you'd be around $70k? Thats a lot of money.


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## vic cardenas (Nov 11, 2012)

I would suggest you demand to stay on hourly. Even if it means no raise. They see that you are costing them and want to stick you on salary so they can work you more. I would also have to assume that since they are paying you such a good wage now, you will start to see them "trim the fat" in the future. "Senior" Executive Chef??? Sorry, but the owners are seeing that they are making mistakes and are trying their best to rectify them. Keep your nice hourly wage and your Executive Chef title and work as good and as hard as you can because in a little while, that title of yours and the owner's reference will help you get a much better job.


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## laurenlulu (Sep 9, 2012)

I'm in the hourly camp too, know from experience. I went from 50 at salary to 17 and change at hourly, 40 hrs straight pay and 10 OT per week. When on salary I often, like every week had to cover others shifts as well as my own because it eliminated OT for staff. After hourly I was the last person they wanted to accrue OT on top of the 10 hrs so I got days off. If I had to work extra it was ok because of the OT rate. I got screwed when using benefit hours though because it's straight pay only, not extra 10 of OT.


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## brandon odell (Aug 19, 2012)

Ditto the "stay on hourly", even if it means no raise. You're at $20 an hour already. Whatever salary they offer you is going to net you less per hour. The first step into a salaried position always does. You're not going to be the second in command of the kitchen and make more than $20/hr unless you are in a large, busy kitchen.


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## jay lancaster (Aug 26, 2016)

Does the fish cutter make overtime?  So what if you guys make the same hourly...you're killing him/her on total hours and OT.  

You're already being paid too much...enjoy it and keep quiet to management.


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