Assistant cook vs pantry cook

The differences between assistant cooks and pantry cooks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an assistant cook and a pantry cook. Additionally, an assistant cook has an average salary of $34,244, which is higher than the $33,568 average annual salary of a pantry cook.

The top three skills for an assistant cook include food handling, kitchen equipment and dishes. The most important skills for a pantry cook are food handling, cleanliness, and kitchen equipment.

Assistant cook vs pantry cook overview

	Assistant Cook	Pantry Cook
Yearly salary	$34,244	$33,568
Hourly rate	$16.46	$16.14
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	190,245	145,348
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	Associate Degree, 39%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Assistant cook vs pantry cook salary

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

	Assistant Cook	Pantry Cook
Average salary	$34,244	$33,568
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $43,000	Between $26,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	-
Best paying industry	Hospitality	-

Differences between assistant cook and pantry cook education

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

	Assistant Cook	Pantry Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	Associate Degree, 39%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Assistant cook vs pantry cook demographics

Here are the differences between assistant cooks' and pantry cooks' demographics:

	Assistant Cook	Pantry Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%	Male, 56.8% Female, 43.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 8.6% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 8.8% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between assistant cook and pantry cook duties and responsibilities

Assistant cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Operate stoves, food processors, steamers, slices, ovens.
Ensure ovens and stoves are clean and ready for use.
Train new and current cooks on menu conversion, garnishing, and food presentation.
Prepare and deliver food trays to hospital patients for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Supervise and maintain HACCP standards, training processes for cooks and monitor aspects of contract compliance.

Pantry cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Use of meat slicers, oven and stove.
Monitor garnishing of desserts and salads for plating.
Handle mixing machines and deli slicers per health regulations.
Maintain all HACCP sanitation guidelines on a daily basis.
Perform culinary skills such as cooking, prepping, and cleaning.

Assistant cook vs pantry cook skills

Common assistant cook skills

Food Handling, 12%
Kitchen Equipment, 11%
Dishes, 9%
Food Service, 8%
Customer Service, 7%
Cleanliness, 6%

Common pantry cook skills

Food Handling, 20%
Cleanliness, 18%
Kitchen Equipment, 18%
Quality Standards, 16%
Fine Dining, 7%
Salad Dressings, 4%

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Assistant Cook vs Pantry Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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