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The differences between cook/dishwashers and head cooks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a head cook has an average salary of $44,412, which is higher than the $31,703 average annual salary of a cook/dishwasher.
The top three skills for a cook/dishwasher include wash dishes, customer service and dishwashers. The most important skills for a head cook are kitchen equipment, meal preparation, and food service.
| Cook/Dishwasher | Head Cook | |
| Yearly salary | $31,703 | $44,412 |
| Hourly rate | $15.24 | $21.35 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 133,000 | 156,227 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 58% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Average age | 36 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
Cooks/dishwashers must develop kitchen skills to excel in this line of job. Each cook or dishwasher must learn to develop skills in food preparation, sanitation, and customer service. Cooks or dishwashers can be assigned to different areas, either in the kitchen area, food preparation, or in washing dishes. The scope of their responsibilities may include the cooking surface area, specific food items, or menu items. Also, they are expected to maintain the cleanliness of the kitchen, assist in preparing food, and may do any other duties demanded by the chef.
A head cook is responsible for organizing the food preparation, organizing the kitchen operations, and ensuring the quality of the food presented. Head cooks' duties include monitoring the food inventory, creating new recipes, researching current market trends, responding to guests' inquiries and complaints, distributing kitchen tasks to the staff, and maintaining budget goals while maintaining the highest food quality. A head cook must always adhere to the sanitary procedures and hygienic standards, as well as have a broad knowledge of the food industry.
Cook/dishwashers and head cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cook/Dishwasher | Head Cook | |
| Average salary | $31,703 | $44,412 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $40,000 | Between $32,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | Tacoma, WA | San Antonio, TX |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | New Seasons Market | Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a cook/dishwasher and a head cook in terms of educational background:
| Cook/Dishwasher | Head Cook | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 58% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Most common major | Business | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | - | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between cook/dishwashers' and head cooks' demographics:
| Cook/Dishwasher | Head Cook | |
| Average age | 36 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.7% Female, 18.3% | Male, 63.5% Female, 36.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 5.9% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 10.3% White, 57.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 9% |