Deli cook vs prep cook

The differences between deli cooks 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 deli cook and a prep cook. Additionally, a prep cook has an average salary of $32,292, which is higher than the $32,062 average annual salary of a deli cook.

The top three skills for a deli cook include food handling, basic math and cleanliness. The most important skills for a prep cook are food handling, culinary, and sanitation standards.

Deli cook vs prep cook overview

	Deli Cook	Prep Cook
Yearly salary	$32,062	$32,292
Hourly rate	$15.41	$15.53
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	169,287	168,265
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	High School Diploma, 48%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Deli cook vs prep cook salary

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

	Deli Cook	Prep Cook
Average salary	$32,062	$32,292
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $42,000	Between $25,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Beaverton, OR	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Oregon	Washington
Best paying company	Kohler Co.	Kemps
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Manufacturing

Differences between deli cook and prep cook education

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

	Deli Cook	Prep Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	High School Diploma, 48%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Deli cook vs prep cook demographics

Here are the differences between deli cooks' and prep cooks' demographics:

	Deli Cook	Prep Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 40.2% Female, 59.8%	Male, 61.3% Female, 38.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 8.5% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	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 deli cook and prep cook duties and responsibilities

Deli cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Clean, operate cash register, dismantle and clean equipment, slicers, fryers, rotisserie ovens and reassemble.
Maintain department cleanliness, and provide customer service.
Slice meats & cheeses with rotary blade slicers, size the slices, weigh and wrap foods according to customers satisfaction.
Package meats; grind beef, frozen hamburger patties, chicken fryers, cut up meats, and conduct food inventory.
Maintain cleanliness and preparedness of deli.

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.

Deli cook vs prep cook skills

Common deli cook skills

Food Handling, 21%
Basic Math, 19%
Cleanliness, 10%
Kitchen Equipment, 7%
Slicers, 5%
Customer Service, 5%

Common prep cook skills

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

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Deli Cook
Deli Cook vs Prep Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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