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The differences between cooks and head cooks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a cook, becoming a head cook takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a head cook has an average salary of $44,412, 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 a head cook are kitchen equipment, meal preparation, and food service.
| Cook | Head Cook | |
| Yearly salary | $31,803 | $44,412 |
| Hourly rate | $15.29 | $21.35 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 184,818 | 156,227 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 45% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Average age | 38 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
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.
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.
Cooks and head cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cook | Head Cook | |
| Average salary | $31,803 | $44,412 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $40,000 | Between $32,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Antonio, TX |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics |
| Best paying industry | Government | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a cook and a head cook in terms of educational background:
| Cook | Head Cook | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 45% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | - | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between cooks' and head cooks' demographics:
| Cook | Head Cook | |
| Average age | 38 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.2% Female, 29.8% | Male, 63.5% Female, 36.5% |
| 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, 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 | 6% | 9% |