Cook/bartender vs prep cook

The differences between cook/bartenders 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 $30,956 average annual salary of a cook/bartender.

The top three skills for a cook/bartender include drink orders, customer service and bartending. The most important skills for a prep cook are food handling, culinary, and sanitation standards.

Cook/bartender vs prep cook overview

	Cook/Bartender	Prep Cook
Yearly salary	$30,956	$32,292
Hourly rate	$14.88	$15.53
Growth rate	10%	16%
Number of jobs	112,807	168,265
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	High School Diploma, 48%
Average age	37	38
Years of experience	-	4

Cook/bartender vs prep cook salary

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

	Cook/Bartender	Prep Cook
Average salary	$30,956	$32,292
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $39,000	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/bartender and prep cook education

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

	Cook/Bartender	Prep Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	High School Diploma, 48%
Most common major	Business	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Cook/bartender vs prep cook demographics

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

	Cook/Bartender	Prep Cook
Average age	37	38
Gender ratio	Male, 51.1% Female, 48.9%	Male, 61.3% Female, 38.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 5.9% White, 67.8% 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	10%	6%

Differences between cook/bartender and prep cook duties and responsibilities

Cook/bartender example responsibilities.

Manage business operation initiatives, including payroll, invoicing, inventory, and human resource relate matters.
Process orders on a computerize POS system.
Cook until kitchen close and then bartend rest of evening.
Prepare, craft, and serve artisan food for guests, pour taps, operate POS.
Cook and serve food to customer's, keep a clean and orderly work area, also some bartending.
Participate and win awards in regional and divisional bartending competitions.

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/bartender vs prep cook skills

Common cook/bartender skills

Drink Orders, 22%
Customer Service, 19%
Bartending, 12%
Bartend, 5%
Food Orders, 4%
Non-Alcoholic Beverages, 4%

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/Bartender
Cook/Bartender vs Prep Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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