Camp cook vs institutional cook

The differences between camp cooks and institutional cooks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a camp cook and an institutional cook. Additionally, a camp cook has an average salary of $32,630, which is higher than the $30,403 average annual salary of an institutional cook.

The top three skills for a camp cook include food preparation, food service and food handling. The most important skills for an institutional cook are food handling, kitchen equipment, and culinary.

Camp cook vs institutional cook overview

	Camp Cook	Institutional Cook
Yearly salary	$32,630	$30,403
Hourly rate	$15.69	$14.62
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	69,991	106,958
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	High School Diploma, 36%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	2	2

Camp cook vs institutional cook salary

Camp cooks and institutional cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Camp Cook	Institutional Cook
Average salary	$32,630	$30,403
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $39,000	Between $24,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	Santa Rosa, CA	Santa Barbara, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Santa Clara County Office of Education	Compass Group USA
Best paying industry	Education	-

Differences between camp cook and institutional cook education

There are a few differences between a camp cook and an institutional cook in terms of educational background:

	Camp Cook	Institutional Cook
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	High School Diploma, 36%
Most common major	General Studies	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Camp cook vs institutional cook demographics

Here are the differences between camp cooks' and institutional cooks' demographics:

	Camp Cook	Institutional Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7%	Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 7.0% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%	Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 6.7% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between camp cook and institutional cook duties and responsibilities

Camp cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Work with propane refrigerators, freezer and stoves.
Work remotely in Alaskan bush conducting salmon and otolith surveys, also are the camp cook.
Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Work remotely in Alaskan bush conducting salmon and otolith surveys, also are the camp cook.

Institutional cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Ensure customers convenience are met/exceed by accommodating and notifying customers of ingredients that may trigger food allergies or intolerance.
Provide leadership that promotes and exemplifies excellent customer service.

Camp cook vs institutional cook skills

Common camp cook skills

Food Preparation, 35%
Food Service, 33%
Food Handling, 15%
Clean Kitchen, 5%
Allergies, 3%
Kids, 3%

Common institutional cook skills

Food Handling, 32%
Kitchen Equipment, 23%
Culinary, 15%
Slicers, 7%
Mixers, 7%
Broilers, 4%

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Camp Cook vs Institutional Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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