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The differences between dietary aides and dietary cooks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a dietary aide and a dietary cook. Additionally, a dietary aide has an average salary of $28,005, which is higher than the $27,365 average annual salary of a dietary cook.
The top three skills for a dietary aide include patients, meal trays and food service. The most important skills for a dietary cook are patients, food handling, and food service.
| Dietary Aide | Dietary Cook | |
| Yearly salary | $28,005 | $27,365 |
| Hourly rate | $13.46 | $13.16 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 44,494 | 191,406 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 50% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A dietary aide is responsible for assisting food preparations and ensuring that the meals adhere to an individual's specific diet plans. Dietary aides must strictly follow sanitation standards and hygiene procedures to guarantee the safety and quality of the service. They also help in facilitating kitchen maintenance, keeping every area clean and organized. Dietary aides must also have comprehensive knowledge of nutritional guidelines to provide information and share suggestions as necessary to improve the service and preparations.
A dietary cook specializes in cooking and preparing healthy meals for clients or organizations. It is their duty to follow nutritional plans and guidelines, adhere to portion and quality standards, supervise kitchen staff, and participate in delivering food to rooms or offices. They also monitor the inventory of supplies, maintain the cleanliness of different areas, and keep dishes sanitized at all times. Moreover, a dietary cook must coordinate and maintain an open communication line with fellow kitchen workers to ensure a safe and efficient workflow.
Dietary aides and dietary cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Dietary Aide | Dietary Cook | |
| Average salary | $28,005 | $27,365 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $35,000 | Between $21,000 And $34,000 |
| Highest paying City | Vancouver, WA | Omaha, NE |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Utah |
| Best paying company | Lifespan | SantaFe HealthCare |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a dietary aide and a dietary cook in terms of educational background:
| Dietary Aide | Dietary Cook | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 50% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Most common major | Business | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between dietary aides' and dietary cooks' demographics:
| Dietary Aide | Dietary Cook | |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 28.2% Female, 71.8% | Male, 35.3% Female, 64.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 14.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 5.8% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 8.2% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |