Cafeteria cook vs head cook

The differences between cafeteria cooks and head 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 head cook takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a head cook has an average salary of $44,412, 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 head cook are kitchen equipment, meal preparation, and food service.

Cafeteria cook vs head cook overview

	Cafeteria Cook	Head Cook
Yearly salary	$30,395	$44,412
Hourly rate	$14.61	$21.35
Growth rate	16%	15%
Number of jobs	130,702	156,227
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	High School Diploma, 42%
Average age	38	42
Years of experience	2	6

Cafeteria cook vs head cook salary

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

	Cafeteria Cook	Head Cook
Average salary	$30,395	$44,412
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $36,000	Between $32,000 And $61,000
Highest paying City	Falmouth, MA	San Antonio, TX
Highest paying state	Utah	New Jersey
Best paying company	National Pancake House	Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Manufacturing

Differences between cafeteria cook and head cook education

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

	Cafeteria Cook	Head Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	High School Diploma, 42%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	Stanford University

Cafeteria cook vs head cook demographics

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

	Cafeteria Cook	Head Cook
Average age	38	42
Gender ratio	Male, 39.0% Female, 61.0%	Male, 63.5% Female, 36.5%
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, 10.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 10.3% White, 57.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	9%

Differences between cafeteria cook and head 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.

Head cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Accommodate all campers and staff with dietary restrictions, food allergies as well as providing vegetarian and vegan options.
Follow all equipment and safety procedures in all operations including slicers, choppers, mixers and other meal processing equipment.
Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Scramble eggs, sausage, potatoes, biscits and gravy.
Create and execute menus for the buffets.

Cafeteria cook vs head cook skills

Common cafeteria cook skills

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

Common head cook skills

Kitchen Equipment, 41%
Meal Preparation, 15%
Food Service, 7%
Food Preparation, 3%
Quality Standards, 3%
Safety Standards, 2%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Cafeteria Cook
Cafeteria Cook vs Head Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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