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The differences between cook/dietary aides and kitchen cooks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a cook/dietary aide, becoming a kitchen cook takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a kitchen cook has an average salary of $31,452, which is higher than the $27,490 average annual salary of a cook/dietary aide.
The top three skills for a cook/dietary aide include meal service, food handling and patients. The most important skills for a kitchen cook are dishes, food handling, and cleanliness.
| Cook/Dietary Aide | Kitchen Cook | |
| Yearly salary | $27,490 | $31,452 |
| Hourly rate | $13.22 | $15.12 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 163,273 | 250,354 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 45% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A cook/dietary aide is an individual who works along with the dietary managers, cooks, and dieticians. Dietary aides prepare meals, beverages, and snacks. They set up tables or dining areas with proper order and cleanliness. They serve meals and make sure that the hygiene and safety protocols for food are followed all the time. The skills significant for this job include attention to detail, strong communication skills, excellent customer service, and knowledge in food preparation and its safety protocols.
A kitchen cook prepares food for customers. Kitchen cooks help devise new menu items and methods of cooking. Their duties are to prepare food before the arrival of guests, manage employees in the kitchen, and season food according to recipe needs. They assist other cooks during the food assembly process, estimate food consumption, and organize preparation. They keep records and accounts of food purchases, prepare any necessary sauce before the meal service begins, and so on. As kitchen cooks, they must excel in organizational skills, verbal communication, culinary arts, and kitchen equipment. They should be equipped with knowledge of international cuisines, butchering, and basic computational skills.
Cook/dietary aides and kitchen cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cook/Dietary Aide | Kitchen Cook | |
| Average salary | $27,490 | $31,452 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $34,000 | Between $25,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Utah | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Ann Storck Center | Hilltop Ski Area |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Retail |
There are a few differences between a cook/dietary aide and a kitchen cook in terms of educational background:
| Cook/Dietary Aide | Kitchen Cook | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 45% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between cook/dietary aides' and kitchen cooks' demographics:
| Cook/Dietary Aide | Kitchen Cook | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.9% Female, 74.1% | Male, 65.8% Female, 34.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.4% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 9.1% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |