Cafeteria cook vs cook

The differences between cafeteria cooks and 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 a cook takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a cook has an average salary of $31,803, 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 a cook are food handling, food service, and cleanliness.

Cafeteria cook vs cook overview

	Cafeteria Cook	Cook
Yearly salary	$30,395	$31,803
Hourly rate	$14.61	$15.29
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	130,702	184,818
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	High School Diploma, 45%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	2	4

Cafeteria cook vs cook salary

Cafeteria cooks and cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cafeteria Cook	Cook
Average salary	$30,395	$31,803
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $36,000	Between $25,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Falmouth, MA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Utah	Hawaii
Best paying company	National Pancake House	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Government

Differences between cafeteria cook and cook education

There are a few differences between a cafeteria cook and a cook in terms of educational background:

	Cafeteria Cook	Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	High School Diploma, 45%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Cafeteria cook vs cook demographics

Here are the differences between cafeteria cooks' and cooks' demographics:

	Cafeteria Cook	Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 39.0% Female, 61.0%	Male, 70.2% Female, 29.8%
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, 10.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 8.5% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between cafeteria cook and cook duties and responsibilities

Cafeteria cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Prepare and serve nutritional meals to the before and after school kids.
Inspect equipment for cleanliness in functional operation.
Supervise the culinary arts participants in juvenile detention facility.
Maintain cafeteria cleanliness, stock condiments, Pepsi machine syrup replacement.
Ensure customers convenience are met/exceed by accommodating and notifying customers of ingredients that may trigger food allergies or intolerance.

Cook example responsibilities.

Achieve completion to cook, prep and dish meticulous meals to an immense amount of customers with proficient dexterity quality.
Organize production and set up broiler station for lunch shift, manage grill with 30-40 steaks at varying temps and cuts.
Lead cook line and instruct cooks and other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, and presentation of dishes.
Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Develop ability to manage multiple stations simultaneously while maintaining high levels of culinary excellence.
Operate large volume cooking equipment such as grills, deep fryers, and griddles.

Cafeteria cook vs cook skills

Common cafeteria cook skills

Culinary, 21%
Cleanliness, 18%
Kitchen Equipment, 14%
Food Service, 12%
Food Handling, 11%
Quality Standards, 7%

Common cook skills

Food Handling, 14%
Food Service, 10%
Cleanliness, 10%
Kitchen Equipment, 9%
Basic Math, 7%
Culinary, 6%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Cafeteria Cook
Cafeteria Cook vs Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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