Sous Chef
Sous chefs run the kitchen line and stand in for the head chef, keeping service timing, food quality and kitchen costs on track.
- Median salary*
- $70,200
4.0%vs last year, before tax
- People employed*
- 22,000
0.5%vs last year
- Projected growth*
- +6%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Low
- automation risk
- Average hours*
- 45/wk
+5h vs all jobs
- Shortage status*
- In shortage
national
Sous chefs are second in charge in a commercial kitchen, working alongside the brigade rather than from an office. They prepare and plate dishes to the venue's standard, allocate sections during service, and handle the stock, rostering and food safety records that keep the kitchen running. The role sits between the head chef, who sets the menu and the budget, and the cooks and kitchen hands who carry out the day to day work.
How much do sous chefs earn?
The median full-time salary for a sous chef is $70,200 per annum, before tax, up $14,600 since 2018.
Most full-time sous chefs are covered by the Restaurant Industry Award or the Hospitality Industry (General) Award, or by an enterprise agreement at a larger venue, and each sets different rates and loadings. Evening, weekend and public holiday penalties, plus the style and size of the venue, move take-home pay more than the job title does. Salaried roles in hotels and fine dining often bundle those penalties into a higher base rate, which is worth checking against the award before you accept.
What does a sous chef do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Preparing and cooking dishes to the standard set by the head chef
- Running a section during service and allocating stations across the brigade
- Checking deliveries, ordering stock and monitoring food costs and wastage
- Keeping food safety, hygiene and HACCP records up to date
- Training, rostering and supervising kitchen hands and apprentice cooks
What skills do sous chefs need?
Employers look for food preparation and cooking, food safety and hygiene, rostering and venue operations, backed by Deputy fluency and strong people leadership.
Specialist skills
- Food preparation and cooking
- Food safety and hygiene
- Rostering and venue operations
- Inventory management
Software and tools
- Deputy
- MarketMan
- Lightspeed Restaurant
- Microsoft Excel
General skills
- People leadership
- Time and deadline management
- Attention to detail
Is the job growing?
About 22,000 people work as sous chefs in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 6% over the decade to 2035. That's modest growth: demand is steady rather than booming.
How do you become a sous chef?
Here's the path most sous chefs take, step by step.
- 1Get into a commercial kitchen
Most sous chefs start as an apprentice, a kitchen hand or a cook, and there is no shortcut past time on the line. Weekend and evening work is normal from the beginning, and it is the fastest way to learn how a real service runs.
- 2Complete an apprenticeship in commercial cookery
The Certificate III in Commercial Cookery (SIT30821) is the standard qualification, usually done as a paid three-year apprenticeship with a registered training organisation while you work. You finish with a trade qualification and the hands-on hours employers ask about.
- 3Add a supervisory qualification
A Certificate IV in Kitchen Management (SIT40521) or a Diploma of Hospitality Management (SIT50422) covers rostering, costing, stock control and staff supervision, which are the parts of the sous chef job that a cook has not yet practised.
- 4Pick up a food safety supervisor certificate
Food safety supervisor requirements differ by state and territory, and some venues need a named certificate holder on site. Check what your state asks for and complete the short course if it applies to your workplace.
- 5Build years across sections and cuisines
Employers look for a cook who can cover the grill, the larder and the pass, and who has worked more than one kitchen. Moving venues early widens your range and is often what makes the step up to sous chef possible.
Ready to apply as a sous chef?
Whether you're working toward becoming a sous chef or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can a sous chef move to?
Moving into Chef typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $3,800 a year more on average.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chef A sous chef already runs the line and supervises staff, so stepping up to chef adds menu planning, staffing and kitchen profit duties. | +$3,800 | 35% | reskill |
| Pastry Chef Sous chef skills in service timing and food safety carry into pastry, with extra training in desserts and baking technique. | +$3,500 | 42% | reskill |
| Catering Manager Kitchen cost control and team leadership carry into catering management, with added event planning and client liaison skills. | −$4,400 | 43% | reskill |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as a sous chef?
The typical sous chef is 32 years old; 76% are men, 72% work full-time, and full-timers average 45 hours a week.
- 32
- Median age
- 24%
- Female share
- 72%
- Full-time
- +5h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being a sous chef?
A sous chef's day has a clear shape: prep and ordering in the morning, a short breather, then service where everything happens at once. The pressure is real and concentrated, and the job suits someone who likes reading a room, keeping a team moving and fixing problems as they appear. It also means late finishes and weekend work, which is the trade-off most people in hospitality accept early on.
What people like
- Running the pass in a busy service. Calling orders, checking plates and keeping the timing tight across the brigade is the part of the job that many sous chefs enjoy most, because the result is visible within minutes.
- Teaching the next cooks. Apprentices learn technique by watching and copying, so showing someone how to break down a fish or season a sauce properly is a direct part of the role.
- Being close to the food and the team. Unlike the head chef, who spends more time on menus, suppliers and budgets, the sous chef is on the line every service and knows exactly how each dish is going out.
- Moving between kitchens and cuisines. The trade travels well, and changing venues is a common way to pick up new techniques, different produce and a wider set of kitchen systems.
What people find hard
- Hours that avoid the nine to five. Split shifts, late closes, weekends and public holidays are standard, and they make ordinary social plans harder to keep.
- Stuck between the head chef and the brigade. You carry the head chef's decisions to the team and answer for them when a dish or a roster does not land the way it was planned.
- Covering gaps at short notice. When someone calls in sick, the sous chef usually works their section on top of their own, which can turn a manageable service into a long one.
- Heat, noise and time on your feet. A full service is physically demanding, and there is little chance to step away until the last dish leaves the pass.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ sous chefs?
Restaurants and cafes employs the largest share of sous chefs, followed by Pubs, taverns and bars.
Top employing industries
- 1Restaurants and cafes
- 2Pubs, taverns and bars
- 3Hotels and resorts
- 4Catering services
- 5Health care and aged care food services
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Certificate III/IV | 34% | |
|---|---|---|
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 26% | |
| Bachelor degree | 20% | |
| Year 12 or below | 20% |
Will AI replace sous chefs?
Sous chef work is only lightly exposed to AI. Rostering and inventory software has taken over part of the admin that sits behind the pass, but the cooking, tasting and service work happens in real time with people, produce and customers. A grill that is running hot or a table waiting on a main is not something a model can plate.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Cooking and plating during serviceJudging when a piece of fish is ready, seasoning to taste and getting every plate on a table hot at the same time is hands-on work that depends on sight, smell and touch.40%low
- Supervising and training the kitchen brigadeNoticing that an apprentice is struggling mid-service and showing them the technique on the spot depends on being there and reading how they are coping.35%low
- Rostering and labour cost adminSoftware like Deputy builds a draft roster from forecast sales, though the sous chef still balances it against who can actually work a section and what the award allows.13%moderate
- Stock ordering and wastage trackingSystems such as MarketMan flag usage and suggest order quantities from past sales, but someone still checks the delivery, rejects short weights and decides what to do with produce nearing its end.12%moderate
Common questions about becoming a sous chef
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much does a sous chef earn?
Sous chefs earn $70,200 per year before tax on a full-time median. Award penalties for nights, weekends and public holidays, the venue's style and size, and whether you are paid hourly or on a salary all move take-home pay, so compare the base rate and the loading structure rather than the headline figure.
How do you become a sous chef?
Most people get there by completing a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery (SIT30821) as a paid apprenticeship and then working across sections in a few kitchens. Employers look for a cook who can run the grill, the larder and the pass, and adding a Certificate IV in Kitchen Management (SIT40521) or a hospitality diploma shows you can handle rostering, costing and supervision.
Are sous chefs in demand?
Sous chefs are currently in shortage nationally, and employment is projected to grow 6% over the decade to 2035. For someone looking for work, that points to openings across restaurants, pubs, hotels and catering, and it is worth asking each venue about the hours and the roster before you compare offers.
Will AI replace sous chefs?
No, the cooking and service side of the job is only lightly exposed. Rostering software such as Deputy and inventory tools such as MarketMan already handle part of the admin behind the pass, building rosters from sales forecasts and flagging stock usage, but tasting a sauce, timing a dozen pans and reading a busy dining room stay with the person on the line.
What can a sous chef move into?
Moving into a chef role adds menu planning, staffing and kitchen profit duties, and pays $3,800 more. Pastry chef is another option for someone drawn to desserts and baking, where service timing and food safety carry over, and catering manager suits a move into event planning and client work, at $4,400 less. Some sous chefs eventually become chef-owners or open a small venue of their own, and running the business is often where earnings grow.
How many hours do sous chefs work?
Full-time sous chefs average around 45 hours a week, which is above the standard full-time week, and the load leans heavily on evenings, weekends and public holidays. Kitchens also run on split shifts, so a working day can be broken into a prep block and a service block with a few hours off in between.
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