Cook and waitress/waiter vs cook

The differences between cook and waitresses/waiter and cooks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a cook has an average salary of $31,803, which is higher than the $27,271 average annual salary of a cook and waitress/waiter.

The top three skills for a cook and waitress/waiter include food handling, customer service and waiter. The most important skills for a cook are food handling, food service, and cleanliness.

Cook and waitress/waiter vs cook overview

	Cook And Waitress/Waiter	Cook
Yearly salary	$27,271	$31,803
Hourly rate	$13.11	$15.29
Growth rate	10%	16%
Number of jobs	268,608	184,818
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 42%	High School Diploma, 45%
Average age	28	38
Years of experience	-	4

Cook and waitress/waiter vs cook salary

Cook and waitresses/waiter and cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cook And Waitress/Waiter	Cook
Average salary	$27,271	$31,803
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $36,000	Between $25,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	-	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between cook and waitress/waiter and cook education

There are a few differences between a cook and waitress/waiter and a cook in terms of educational background:

	Cook And Waitress/Waiter	Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 42%	High School Diploma, 45%
Most common major	Business	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Cook and waitress/waiter vs cook demographics

Here are the differences between cook and waitresses/waiter' and cooks' demographics:

	Cook And Waitress/Waiter	Cook
Average age	28	38
Gender ratio	Male, 74.8% Female, 25.2%	Male, 70.2% Female, 29.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 8.7% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	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 cook and waitress/waiter and cook duties and responsibilities

Cook and waitress/waiter example responsibilities.

Enter orders into a POS system to be send to the kitchen.
Assist in cashier duties using POS system to make all monetary transactions of food items.
Develop relationships with regular patrons; develop an understanding of their personal needs and expectations, including preferences and food allergies.
Service of drinks, cocktails and food in a busy, members only VIP environment.

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.

Cook and waitress/waiter vs cook skills

Common cook and waitress/waiter skills

Food Handling, 58%
Customer Service, 14%
Waiter, 5%
Food Orders, 3%
Food Service, 2%
Food Preparation, 2%

Common cook skills

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

Cook And Waitress/Waiter vs. similar jobs

Cook And Waitress/Waiter related careers

Cook And Waitress/Waiter related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Cook And Waitress/Waiter
Cook And Waitress/Waiter vs Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse food preparation and restaurant jobs