SIT40521 · Delivered by our partner RTO
Certificate IV in Kitchen Management (SIT40521)
Running sections, mentoring juniors, costing dishes — you’re effectively a sous chef. SIT40521 is the certificate for that step up to running a kitchen. RPL turns your leadership in the kitchen into the formal certificate.
RPL in 5 Simple Steps
Free RPL Suitability Enquiry
Discuss your skills, work history and experience with our team to determine whether RPL may be suitable for you. Eligible applicants are referred to a partnered RTO for enrolment.Enrolment & RPL Kit
The partnered RTO enrols you into the qualification or units and provides the RPL assessment kit, evidence guide and submission requirements.Evidence Collection & Submission
Gather and submit evidence of your skills and experience — resumes, employment documents, licences, references, work samples and previous training records. We can assist you with organising your evidence.Assessment & Review
The RTO assessor reviews your evidence and may conduct a competency conversation, workplace verification, practical assessment or request additional information if required.Outcome
The RTO determines the assessment outcome. Where competency requirements are met, the RTO issues the qualification or Statement of Attainment.88%
Graduate Satisfaction
Source: NCVER Student Outcomes (industry avg)
81%
Reported Work Status Improvement
Employment outcomes vary and are not guaranteed
$85k
Typical Median Earnings
Source: Seek / Indeed AU 2026
Qualification Description
SIT40521 — Official description from training.gov.au
This qualification reflects the role of chefs and cooks who have a supervisory or team leading role in the kitchen. They operate independently or with limited guidance from others and use discretion to solve non-routine problems.This qualification provides a pathway to work in organisations such as restaurants, hotels, clubs, pubs, cafes and coffee shops, or to run a small business in these sectors.The skills in this qualification must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State or Territory legislation, Australian standards and industry codes of practice.No occupational licensing, certification or specific legislative requirements apply to this qualification at the time of publication.
No occupational licensing, certification or specific legislative requirements apply to this qualification at the time of publication.
What Certificate IV in Kitchen Management Covers
The Certificate IV in Kitchen Management builds on Cert III to cover kitchen leadership, costing and people management. Core areas covered:
- Leading kitchen teams and rostering staff
- Menu design, cost control and dish profitability
- Managing food cost, gross profit and waste targets
- Coaching junior chefs and apprentices
- Supplier management and stock ordering
- Compliance with food safety supervisor responsibilities
Real Earning Outcomes
Sous Chefs Earn $80k–$85k. Head Chefs Hit $93k. Cert IV is the Pay Bump.
You’re running sections and mentoring apprentices. Without Cert IV in Kitchen Management, you cap at chef pay. With it, you move into sous chef, head chef and kitchen manager bands.
The credential gets you the leadership roles you’re already doing the work for.
Sous Chef
$80k–$92k / yr
Second-in-charge. Run kitchen ops day-to-day. Standard band per Seek AU 2026.
Chef de Partie
$75k–$88k / yr
Section head. Sauce, sauté, larder, pastry. Salaried role with Cert IV credential.
Head Chef (small venue)
$85k–$105k / yr
Lead a kitchen. Menus, costing, staff, suppliers. Per Seek head chef averages.
Kitchen Manager
$78k–$95k / yr
Operations focus over cooking. Costing, stock, scheduling, compliance.
You’re running pass like a sous. Get paid like one.
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Salary ranges sourced from Seek, Indeed and Payscale Australia (2026). Actual pay varies by location, employer type, and experience. Figures are typical full-time ranges and exclude superannuation unless noted.
Who This Certificate Is For
You’ve worked as a chef de partie or sous chef for 2+ years. You’ve run sections, mentored apprentices, costed dishes, ordered stock. You’ve covered the head chef on days off.
Common backgrounds: sous chefs, chefs de partie, breakfast chef in charge, head chefs without formal Cert IV papers, banquet chefs, second-in-charge in catering operations.
What You’ll Need To Bring
Real, current evidence of the work you do on the job. Your partner RTO assesses you against the specific units of competency in the qualification, so the evidence should show those skills being applied in practice. The more relevant the evidence, the smoother the assessment.
- Photos, videos and records of work you are currently doing on the tools or on the job — clearly showing each unit’s skills in practice
- Workplace documents you produce: care plans, shift notes, site reports, job sheets, invoices, plans you’ve worked from
- Two professional references from supervisors or senior colleagues who can verify your skills
- Previous training records, short course certificates, workplace documents or role-specific licences relevant to the qualification
- Resume or work history showing length of time working in the field
- Any third-party reports the partner RTO requests to verify specific units
Your partner RTO will tell you exactly which units need extra evidence. We help you map what you already have against the units of competency required.
Common Questions