Cafeteria cook vs prep cook

The differences between cafeteria cooks and prep 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 prep cook takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a prep cook has an average salary of $32,292, 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 prep cook are food handling, culinary, and sanitation standards.

Cafeteria cook vs prep cook overview

	Cafeteria Cook	Prep Cook
Yearly salary	$30,395	$32,292
Hourly rate	$14.61	$15.53
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	130,702	168,265
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	High School Diploma, 48%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	2	4

Cafeteria cook vs prep cook salary

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

	Cafeteria Cook	Prep Cook
Average salary	$30,395	$32,292
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	Washington
Best paying company	National Pancake House	Kemps
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Manufacturing

Differences between cafeteria cook and prep cook education

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

	Cafeteria Cook	Prep Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	High School Diploma, 48%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Cafeteria cook vs prep cook demographics

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

	Cafeteria Cook	Prep Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 39.0% Female, 61.0%	Male, 61.3% Female, 38.7%
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, 9.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 8.6% White, 57.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between cafeteria cook and prep 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.

Prep cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Provide students with first-rate customer service and ensure correct time-temperature control of culinary dishes.
Learned and become CPR certify for emergencies.
Direct and ensure that HACCP procedures are follow.
Plan menu items as needed for caf or catering.
Earn first aid, CPR, and a certification.

Cafeteria cook vs prep cook skills

Common cafeteria cook skills

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

Common prep cook skills

Food Handling, 15%
Culinary, 15%
Sanitation Standards, 12%
Kitchen Equipment, 9%
Cleanliness, 7%
Team Work, 7%

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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