Cook apprentice vs prep cook

The differences between cook apprentices and prep cooks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a cook apprentice and a prep cook. Additionally, a cook apprentice has an average salary of $34,707, which is higher than the $32,292 average annual salary of a prep cook.

The top three skills for a cook apprentice include culinary, kitchen equipment and sauces. The most important skills for a prep cook are food handling, culinary, and sanitation standards.

Cook apprentice vs prep cook overview

	Cook Apprentice	Prep Cook
Yearly salary	$34,707	$32,292
Hourly rate	$16.69	$15.53
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	137,414	168,265
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	High School Diploma, 48%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Cook apprentice vs prep cook salary

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

	Cook Apprentice	Prep Cook
Average salary	$34,707	$32,292
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $42,000	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 apprentice and prep cook education

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

	Cook Apprentice	Prep Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	High School Diploma, 48%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Cook apprentice vs prep cook demographics

Here are the differences between cook apprentices' and prep cooks' demographics:

	Cook Apprentice	Prep Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 72.3% Female, 27.7%	Male, 61.3% Female, 38.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 8.5% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%	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 apprentice and prep cook duties and responsibilities

Cook apprentice example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Cook foods by baking, roasting, broiling, frying, saut? ing and grilling.
Operate standard cooking equipment, including grills, ovens and broilers.
Gain cooking methods, including roasting, deep fat frying, broiling, and saut ing.
Cook foods by frying, saut? ing, steaming and grilling.
Acquire cooking skills, saut, grill, salad, breakfast, soups and desserts.

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 apprentice vs prep cook skills

Common cook apprentice skills

Culinary, 41%
Kitchen Equipment, 29%
Sauces, 11%
Roasting, 5%
La Carte, 4%
Food Quality, 3%

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 Apprentice
Cook Apprentice vs Prep Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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