Cooking instructor vs prep cook

The differences between cooking instructors and prep 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 cooking instructor and a prep cook. Additionally, a cooking instructor has an average salary of $87,520, which is higher than the $32,292 average annual salary of a prep cook.

The top three skills for a cooking instructor include kids, culinary and nutrition education. The most important skills for a prep cook are food handling, culinary, and sanitation standards.

Cooking instructor vs prep cook overview

	Cooking Instructor	Prep Cook
Yearly salary	$87,520	$32,292
Hourly rate	$42.08	$15.53
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	25,094	168,265
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	High School Diploma, 48%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Cooking instructor vs prep cook salary

Cooking instructors and prep cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cooking Instructor	Prep Cook
Average salary	$87,520	$32,292
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $207,000	Between $25,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Washington
Best paying company	H-E-B	Kemps
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between cooking instructor and prep cook education

There are a few differences between a cooking instructor and a prep cook in terms of educational background:

	Cooking Instructor	Prep Cook
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	High School Diploma, 48%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Cooking instructor vs prep cook demographics

Here are the differences between cooking instructors' and prep cooks' demographics:

	Cooking Instructor	Prep Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 25.4% Female, 74.6%	Male, 61.3% Female, 38.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 8.8% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 8.6% White, 57.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between cooking instructor and prep cook duties and responsibilities

Cooking instructor example responsibilities.

Manage and mentor the college caf team including training of new employees, students, and interns.
Plan recipes, shop for groceries, gather materials for cooking.
Research and develop menus of Thai, Moroccan, Greek and Turkish cuisines.
Expedite and delegate kitchen tasks to students to ensure dishes are prepared within allot class time while teaching basic culinary skills
Provide culinary services for special events at the community center
Examine injure persons and administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary, using training and medical supplies and equipment.

Prep cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Provide students with first-rate customer service and ensure correct time-temperature control of culinary dishes.
Learned and become CPR certify for emergencies.
Direct and ensure that HACCP procedures are follow.
Plan menu items as needed for caf or catering.
Earn first aid, CPR, and a certification.

Cooking instructor vs prep cook skills

Common cooking instructor skills

Kids, 39%
Culinary, 22%
Nutrition Education, 18%
Healthy Food, 8%
Food Preparation, 3%
Food Safety, 3%

Common prep cook skills

Food Handling, 15%
Culinary, 15%
Sanitation Standards, 12%
Kitchen Equipment, 9%
Cleanliness, 7%
Team Work, 7%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Cooking Instructor
Cooking Instructor vs Prep Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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