Cook vs cook/server

The differences between cooks and cook/servers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a cook has an average salary of $31,803, which is higher than the $29,716 average annual salary of a cook/server.

The top three skills for a cook include food handling, food service and cleanliness. The most important skills for a cook/server are customer service, customer orders, and safety standards.

Cook vs cook/server overview

	Cook	Cook/Server
Yearly salary	$31,803	$29,716
Hourly rate	$15.29	$14.29
Growth rate	16%	14%
Number of jobs	184,818	257,582
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 52%
Average age	38	23
Years of experience	4	-

What does a cook do?

Cooks are responsible for preparing meals for guests or employers. They must be knowledgeable about the different recipes and ingredients needed. They are also responsible for managing the inventory and ensuring that the pantry is well-stocked. They prepare meals from scratch, cutting ingredients, measuring them, and following recipes. Cooks should be creative, especially when ingredients are lacking, and they must find alternatives that will not compromise the food taste. They should be precise, imaginative, and patient. Cooks should also have good time management skills and decision-making skills.

What does a cook/server do?

Cooks/servers are employees who take on the dual role of being a cook and a server in the restaurant. They are usually trained cooks who are in charge of preparing meals for the guests. They prepare ingredients, cook them according to the recipe, and serve them to guests. They are responsible for ensuring that the food is prepared and served to guests within the promised time. They are in charge of managing the pantry, ensuring that the stock is fresh, and checking whether the stock is low. They are expected to have culinary skills, precision, and time management skills.

Cook vs cook/server salary

Cooks and cook/servers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cook	Cook/Server
Average salary	$31,803	$29,716
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $40,000	Between $23,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Bellingham, WA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Alaska
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	The Harley School
Best paying industry	Government	Retail

Differences between cook and cook/server education

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

	Cook	Cook/Server
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 52%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Business
Most common college	-	-

Cook vs cook/server demographics

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

	Cook	Cook/Server
Average age	38	23
Gender ratio	Male, 70.2% Female, 29.8%	Male, 45.9% Female, 54.1%
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, 9.6% Unknown, 6.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.5% White, 57.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	8%

Differences between cook and cook/server 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.

Cook/server example responsibilities.

Develop ability to manage multiple stations simultaneously while maintaining high levels of culinary excellence.
Assist customers, bag groceries, replenish carts, and clean store.
Pay close attention to detail while multitasking between communicating over the intercom, utilizing the POS, and order placing.
Make smoothies, coffee, customer service, cashier, fill bakery cooler, inventory, stock, and clean!
Operate the filtration system used for the fryers to keep all sanitation guidelines up to standards as per the health department.
Operate, and maintain clean and safe cooking equipment like pressure cooker deep fryers, plate grills, and deep fryers.

Cook vs cook/server skills

Common cook skills

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

Common cook/server skills

Customer Service, 41%
Customer Orders, 8%
Safety Standards, 6%
Food Preparation, 5%
Kitchen Equipment, 4%
POS, 4%

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Cook vs Cook/Server

Updated January 8, 2025

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