Assistant chef vs banquet cook

The differences between assistant chefs and banquet cooks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an assistant chef, becoming a banquet cook takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an assistant chef has an average salary of $37,670, which is higher than the $34,599 average annual salary of a banquet cook.

The top three skills for an assistant chef include kitchen equipment, safety standards and culinary. The most important skills for a banquet cook are culinary, quality standards, and cleanliness.

Assistant chef vs banquet cook overview

	Assistant Chef	Banquet Cook
Yearly salary	$37,670	$34,599
Hourly rate	$18.11	$16.63
Growth rate	15%	16%
Number of jobs	18,054	151,211
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 32%	Associate Degree, 51%
Average age	42	38
Years of experience	6	4

Assistant chef vs banquet cook salary

Assistant chefs and banquet cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Assistant Chef	Banquet Cook
Average salary	$37,670	$34,599
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $63,000	Between $27,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Atlantic City, NJ	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Hawaii
Best paying company	Ncar - The National Center For Atmospheric Research	Grosse Pointe Yacht Club
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Manufacturing

Differences between assistant chef and banquet cook education

There are a few differences between an assistant chef and a banquet cook in terms of educational background:

	Assistant Chef	Banquet Cook
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 32%	Associate Degree, 51%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	Stanford University	-

Assistant chef vs banquet cook demographics

Here are the differences between assistant chefs' and banquet cooks' demographics:

	Assistant Chef	Banquet Cook
Average age	42	38
Gender ratio	Male, 71.4% Female, 28.6%	Male, 73.8% Female, 26.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 11.0% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 9.0% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	9%	6%

Differences between assistant chef and banquet cook duties and responsibilities

Assistant chef example responsibilities.

Direct daily activity of staff (prep cook, dishwashers and wait staff), and receive and manage inventory.
Manage food inventory and assist chefs with menu development.
Attain a broad knowledge of ingredient functionality in diverse culinary applications and comfort in a culinary setting.
Learned the cuisine and intricacies of Tuscan style cooking as well as the influences from other regions.
Prep vegetables and meat for chefs, wash and dry dishes, cups, and utensils, and stock new shipments.
Maintain cleanliness and ensure proper preparation of orders.

Banquet cook example responsibilities.

Manage the POS system (adding/deleting specials, editing prices, viewing server appetizer/dessert sales and their server report information).
Knife skills, baking, roasting, frying, sauteing, and grilling large quantities.
Follow the HACCP guidelines for preparing food
Well verse in cleaning work areas, equipment, utensils, and dishes.
Work on the different stations in the kitchen like saut, grill and bake.
Task involve preparation of fresh meals daily for the hospital patients and the public.

Assistant chef vs banquet cook skills

Common assistant chef skills

Kitchen Equipment, 14%
Safety Standards, 13%
Culinary, 12%
Customer Service, 10%
Compassion, 7%
Kitchen Sanitation, 6%

Common banquet cook skills

Culinary, 14%
Quality Standards, 11%
Cleanliness, 10%
Food Handling, 10%
Kitchen Equipment, 8%
Food Preparation, 7%

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Assistant Chef
Assistant Chef vs Banquet Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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