Cook and waitress/waiter vs prep cook

The differences between cook and waitresses/waiter and prep cooks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a prep cook has an average salary of $32,292, 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 prep cook are food handling, culinary, and sanitation standards.

Cook and waitress/waiter vs prep cook overview

	Cook And Waitress/Waiter	Prep Cook
Yearly salary	$27,271	$32,292
Hourly rate	$13.11	$15.53
Growth rate	10%	16%
Number of jobs	268,608	168,265
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 42%	High School Diploma, 48%
Average age	28	38
Years of experience	-	4

Cook and waitress/waiter vs prep cook salary

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

	Cook And Waitress/Waiter	Prep Cook
Average salary	$27,271	$32,292
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $36,000	Between $25,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	-	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Kemps
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between cook and waitress/waiter and prep cook education

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

	Cook And Waitress/Waiter	Prep Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 42%	High School Diploma, 48%
Most common major	Business	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Cook and waitress/waiter vs prep cook demographics

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

	Cook And Waitress/Waiter	Prep Cook
Average age	28	38
Gender ratio	Male, 74.8% Female, 25.2%	Male, 61.3% Female, 38.7%
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, 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 cook and waitress/waiter and prep 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.

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.

Cook and waitress/waiter vs prep 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 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
Cook And Waitress/Waiter
Cook And Waitress/Waiter vs Prep Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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