Cook vs pantry cook

The differences between cooks and pantry 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 a pantry cook. Additionally, a pantry cook has an average salary of $33,568, 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 pantry cook are food handling, cleanliness, and kitchen equipment.

Cook vs pantry cook overview

	Cook	Pantry Cook
Yearly salary	$31,803	$33,568
Hourly rate	$15.29	$16.14
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	184,818	145,348
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	Associate Degree, 39%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Cook vs pantry cook salary

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

	Cook	Pantry Cook
Average salary	$31,803	$33,568
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $40,000	Between $26,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	-
Highest paying state	Hawaii	-
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between cook and pantry cook education

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

	Cook	Pantry Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	Associate Degree, 39%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Cook vs pantry cook demographics

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

	Cook	Pantry Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 70.2% Female, 29.8%	Male, 56.8% Female, 43.2%
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, 8.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 8.8% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between cook and pantry 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.

Pantry cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Use of meat slicers, oven and stove.
Monitor garnishing of desserts and salads for plating.
Handle mixing machines and deli slicers per health regulations.
Maintain all HACCP sanitation guidelines on a daily basis.
Perform culinary skills such as cooking, prepping, and cleaning.

Cook vs pantry cook skills

Common cook skills

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

Common pantry cook skills

Food Handling, 20%
Cleanliness, 18%
Kitchen Equipment, 18%
Quality Standards, 16%
Fine Dining, 7%
Salad Dressings, 4%

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Cook vs Pantry Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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