Cook vs assistant cook

The differences between cooks and assistant 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 and an assistant cook. Additionally, an assistant cook has an average salary of $34,244, which is higher than the $31,803 average annual salary of a cook.

The top three skills for a cook include food handling, food service and cleanliness. The most important skills for an assistant cook are food handling, kitchen equipment, and dishes.

Cook vs assistant cook overview

	Cook	Assistant Cook
Yearly salary	$31,803	$34,244
Hourly rate	$15.29	$16.46
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	184,818	190,245
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 37%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Cook vs assistant cook salary

Cooks and assistant cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cook	Assistant Cook
Average salary	$31,803	$34,244
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $40,000	Between $26,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	California
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Government	Hospitality

Differences between cook and assistant cook education

There are a few differences between a cook and an assistant cook in terms of educational background:

	Cook	Assistant Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 37%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Cook vs assistant cook demographics

Here are the differences between cooks' and assistant cooks' demographics:

	Cook	Assistant Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 70.2% Female, 29.8%	Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 8.5% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 8.6% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between cook and assistant cook duties and responsibilities

Cook example responsibilities.

Achieve completion to cook, prep and dish meticulous meals to an immense amount of customers with proficient dexterity quality.
Organize production and set up broiler station for lunch shift, manage grill with 30-40 steaks at varying temps and cuts.
Lead cook line and instruct cooks and other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, and presentation of dishes.
Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Develop ability to manage multiple stations simultaneously while maintaining high levels of culinary excellence.
Operate large volume cooking equipment such as grills, deep fryers, and griddles.

Assistant cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Operate stoves, food processors, steamers, slices, ovens.
Ensure ovens and stoves are clean and ready for use.
Train new and current cooks on menu conversion, garnishing, and food presentation.
Prepare and deliver food trays to hospital patients for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Supervise and maintain HACCP standards, training processes for cooks and monitor aspects of contract compliance.

Cook vs assistant cook skills

Common cook skills

Food Handling, 14%
Food Service, 10%
Cleanliness, 10%
Kitchen Equipment, 9%
Basic Math, 7%
Culinary, 6%

Common assistant cook skills

Food Handling, 12%
Kitchen Equipment, 11%
Dishes, 9%
Food Service, 8%
Customer Service, 7%
Cleanliness, 6%

Cook vs. similar jobs

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Cook vs Assistant Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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