Cook vs short order cook

The differences between cooks and short order 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 short order cook. Additionally, a cook has an average salary of $31,803, which is higher than the $30,734 average annual salary of a short order cook.

The top three skills for a cook include food handling, food service and cleanliness. The most important skills for a short order cook are food handling, customer service, and food preparation equipment.

Cook vs short order cook overview

	Cook	Short Order Cook
Yearly salary	$31,803	$30,734
Hourly rate	$15.29	$14.78
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	184,818	176,187
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 43%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	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 short order cook do?

A short-order cook takes responsibility for preparing foods in cafes and restaurants. Usually, they fry eggs, cook fries, and prepare sandwiches. Short order cooks work alongside line chefs in the foodservice market. Their manner of preparing food is quick, easy, and simple. They plan and handle work orders ensuring that all orders are complete and served on time. Strong communication, customer service, a good sense of taste, and the ability to work efficiently are necessary requirements for the job.

Cook vs short order cook salary

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

	Cook	Short Order Cook
Average salary	$31,803	$30,734
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $40,000	Between $24,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Anaheim, CA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Washington
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Columbia University in the City of New York
Best paying industry	Government	Health Care

Differences between cook and short order cook education

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

	Cook	Short Order Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	High School Diploma, 43%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Cook vs short order cook demographics

Here are the differences between cooks' and short order cooks' demographics:

	Cook	Short Order Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 70.2% Female, 29.8%	Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9%
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, 10.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 8.1% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between cook and short order 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.

Short order cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Ensure that ovens and stoves remain at appropriate temperatures.
Clean kitchen including wiping down grills, slicers and deep-frying equipment.
Develop teamwork skills with cooks, dishwashers and wait staff, through efficient clean up and preparation of food.
Prepare guest food orders as they are either transmit via the POS system or orally convey at the counter.
Cook foods on the grill station, oven, barbecue grill, deep fryers, and other industrial cooking apparatus.

Cook vs short order cook skills

Common cook skills

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

Common short order cook skills

Food Handling, 20%
Customer Service, 14%
Food Preparation Equipment, 11%
Kitchen Equipment, 9%
Food Service, 7%
Safety Standards, 7%

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Cook vs Short Order Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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