First cook vs breakfast cook

The differences between first cooks and breakfast 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 breakfast cook. Additionally, a first cook has an average salary of $34,044, which is higher than the $33,616 average annual salary of a breakfast cook.

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

First cook vs breakfast cook overview

	First Cook	Breakfast Cook
Yearly salary	$34,044	$33,616
Hourly rate	$16.37	$16.16
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	149,060	187,390
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 44%	High School Diploma, 42%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

First cook vs breakfast cook salary

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

	First Cook	Breakfast Cook
Average salary	$34,044	$33,616
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $42,000	Between $26,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	-	Beverly, MA
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	Kohler Co.
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between first cook and breakfast cook education

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

	First Cook	Breakfast Cook
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 44%	High School Diploma, 42%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

First cook vs breakfast cook demographics

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

	First Cook	Breakfast Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 77.2% Female, 22.8%	Male, 53.7% Female, 46.3%
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, 15.5% Asian, 8.0% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between first cook and breakfast 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.

Breakfast cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Cut steaks, pizzas, work the line, saut and broiler cook, full-time, then part-time 'till they close.
Provide training to all new hire culinary staff.
Cook weekends for man, broiler, saut e, and banquets.
Prepare lunch items, make sandwiches, roll and bake biscuits, wash dishes
Prep and cook breakfast and lunch dishes for locally own bakery and cafe.

First cook vs breakfast cook skills

Common first cook skills

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

Common breakfast cook skills

Food Handling, 16%
Cleanliness, 16%
Culinary, 13%
Food Service, 8%
Quality Standards, 8%
Kitchen Equipment, 7%

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First Cook
First Cook vs Breakfast Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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