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The differences between cook/dietary aides and prep 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 prep cook takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a prep cook has an average salary of $32,292, 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 prep cook are food handling, culinary, and sanitation standards.
| Cook/Dietary Aide | Prep Cook | |
| Yearly salary | $27,490 | $32,292 |
| Hourly rate | $13.22 | $15.53 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 163,273 | 168,265 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 45% | High School Diploma, 48% |
| 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.
Prep cooks are responsible for preparing ingredients. They are usually part of an assembly line-like structure in the kitchen. They are often the first station in this assembly line. Prep cooks are in charge of thawing, skinning, cutting, mincing, slicing, and chopping ingredients so that the line cooks can just get these ingredients for their own stations. Prep cooks may also start doing some of the initial activities in the cooking process, such as preparing water for boiling, laying out ingredients, and ensuring that the stoves are clear.
Cook/dietary aides and prep cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cook/Dietary Aide | Prep Cook | |
| Average salary | $27,490 | $32,292 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $34,000 | Between $25,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Utah | Washington |
| Best paying company | Ann Storck Center | Kemps |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a cook/dietary aide and a prep cook in terms of educational background:
| Cook/Dietary Aide | Prep Cook | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 45% | High School Diploma, 48% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between cook/dietary aides' and prep cooks' demographics:
| Cook/Dietary Aide | Prep Cook | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.9% Female, 74.1% | Male, 61.3% Female, 38.7% |
| 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, 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% |