Cold meat cook vs prep cook/dishwasher

The differences between cold meat cooks and prep cook/dishwashers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a cold meat cook and a prep cook/dishwasher. Additionally, a prep cook/dishwasher has an average salary of $31,687, which is higher than the $31,354 average annual salary of a cold meat cook.

The top three skills for a cold meat cook include kitchen equipment, food handling and HACCP. The most important skills for a prep cook/dishwasher are wash dishes, food preparation equipment, and dishwashers.

Cold meat cook vs prep cook/dishwasher overview

	Cold Meat Cook	Prep Cook/Dishwasher
Yearly salary	$31,354	$31,687
Hourly rate	$15.07	$15.23
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	146,407	126,351
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	High School Diploma, 57%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Cold meat cook vs prep cook/dishwasher salary

Cold meat cooks and prep cook/dishwashers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cold Meat Cook	Prep Cook/Dishwasher
Average salary	$31,354	$31,687
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $39,000	Between $25,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	-	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Seattle Seahawks
Best paying industry	-	Retail

Differences between cold meat cook and prep cook/dishwasher education

There are a few differences between a cold meat cook and a prep cook/dishwasher in terms of educational background:

	Cold Meat Cook	Prep Cook/Dishwasher
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	High School Diploma, 57%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Cold meat cook vs prep cook/dishwasher demographics

Here are the differences between cold meat cooks' and prep cook/dishwashers' demographics:

	Cold Meat Cook	Prep Cook/Dishwasher
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 63.5% Female, 36.5%	Male, 80.1% Female, 19.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 9.0% White, 57.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 8.6% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between cold meat cook and prep cook/dishwasher duties and responsibilities

Cold meat cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Empty fryers and replace with cleaner or new grease.
Leverage teamwork to fully utilize kitchen staff to generate remarkable food and service to ensure customer satisfaction.
Cook food to order; prep cook and stock; clean and sanitize tables; customer service
Ensure food area are filled and prep food for hot cooks and salad bar cold and hot items.
Provide friendly, quality, customer service to each Chipotle customer.

Prep cook/dishwasher example responsibilities.

Manage the POS system (adding/deleting specials, editing prices, viewing server appetizer/dessert sales and their server report information).
Operate many kitchen appliances and machines including fryers, grinders, food processors, mixers, and slicers.
Perform basic cooking duties such as operate fryers as well as assist cooks in any way need with entrees.
Receive, prepare and plate orders using commercial grills, fryers, ovens and stoves in a quick and consistent manner.
Prep food items and refrigerate appropriately, maintain cleanliness of restaurant, wash all dishes associate with the daily operations
Operate a dishwasher for a hospital cafeteria.

Cold meat cook vs prep cook/dishwasher skills

Common cold meat cook skills

Kitchen Equipment, 29%
Food Handling, 14%
HACCP, 14%
Food Products, 9%
Safety Standards, 9%
Cold Meals, 4%

Common prep cook/dishwasher skills

Wash Dishes, 42%
Food Preparation Equipment, 10%
Dishwashers, 8%
Kitchen Equipment, 4%
Cooking Equipment, 3%
Line Cooks, 3%

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Cold Meat Cook vs Prep Cook/Dishwasher

Updated January 8, 2025

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