First cook vs banquet cook

The differences between first cooks and banquet 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 first cook and a banquet cook. Additionally, a banquet cook has an average salary of $34,599, which is higher than the $34,044 average annual salary of a first cook.

The top three skills for a first cook include cleanliness, patients and food handling. The most important skills for a banquet cook are culinary, quality standards, and cleanliness.

First cook vs banquet cook overview

	First Cook	Banquet Cook
Yearly salary	$34,044	$34,599
Hourly rate	$16.37	$16.63
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	149,060	151,211
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 44%	Associate Degree, 51%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

First cook vs banquet cook salary

First cooks and banquet cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	First Cook	Banquet Cook
Average salary	$34,044	$34,599
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $42,000	Between $27,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	Grosse Pointe Yacht Club
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between first cook and banquet cook education

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

	First Cook	Banquet Cook
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 44%	Associate Degree, 51%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

First cook vs banquet cook demographics

Here are the differences between first cooks' and banquet cooks' demographics:

	First Cook	Banquet Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 77.2% Female, 22.8%	Male, 73.8% Female, 26.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 9.3% White, 55.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 9.0% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between first cook and banquet cook duties and responsibilities

First cook example responsibilities.

Maintain all charts and records according to ServSafe and Michigan USDA standards
Provide technical instruction and expert guidance on food preparation to earn culinary arts competitions.
Measure ingredients, using measuring cups and spoons.
Assist in loading and unloading of groceries to vessel.
Cater special menus for people with allergies and special diets.
Do inventory, order groceries, implement company policies and procedures.

Banquet cook example responsibilities.

Manage the POS system (adding/deleting specials, editing prices, viewing server appetizer/dessert sales and their server report information).
Knife skills, baking, roasting, frying, sauteing, and grilling large quantities.
Follow the HACCP guidelines for preparing food
Well verse in cleaning work areas, equipment, utensils, and dishes.
Work on the different stations in the kitchen like saut, grill and bake.
Task involve preparation of fresh meals daily for the hospital patients and the public.

First cook vs banquet cook skills

Common first cook skills

Cleanliness, 33%
Patients, 14%
Food Handling, 8%
Culinary, 7%
Kitchen Equipment, 6%
HACCP, 4%

Common banquet cook skills

Culinary, 14%
Quality Standards, 11%
Cleanliness, 10%
Food Handling, 10%
Kitchen Equipment, 8%
Food Preparation, 7%

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First Cook vs Banquet Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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