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The differences between cafeteria cooks and assistant cooks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a cafeteria cook, becoming an assistant cook takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an assistant cook has an average salary of $34,244, which is higher than the $30,395 average annual salary of a cafeteria cook.
The top three skills for a cafeteria cook include culinary, cleanliness and kitchen equipment. The most important skills for an assistant cook are food handling, kitchen equipment, and dishes.
| Cafeteria Cook | Assistant Cook | |
| Yearly salary | $30,395 | $34,244 |
| Hourly rate | $14.61 | $16.46 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 130,702 | 190,245 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 50% | High School Diploma, 37% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
Cafeteria cooks and assistant cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cafeteria Cook | Assistant Cook | |
| Average salary | $30,395 | $34,244 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $36,000 | Between $26,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Falmouth, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Utah | California |
| Best paying company | National Pancake House | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a cafeteria cook and an assistant cook in terms of educational background:
| Cafeteria Cook | Assistant Cook | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 50% | High School Diploma, 37% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between cafeteria cooks' and assistant cooks' demographics:
| Cafeteria Cook | Assistant Cook | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.0% Female, 61.0% | Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 8.5% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |