First cook vs kitchen cook

The differences between first cooks and kitchen 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 kitchen cook. Additionally, a first cook has an average salary of $34,044, which is higher than the $31,452 average annual salary of a kitchen cook.

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

First cook vs kitchen cook overview

	First Cook	Kitchen Cook
Yearly salary	$34,044	$31,452
Hourly rate	$16.37	$15.12
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	149,060	250,354
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 44%	High School Diploma, 44%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

First cook vs kitchen cook salary

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

	First Cook	Kitchen Cook
Average salary	$34,044	$31,452
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $42,000	Between $25,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	-	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	Hilltop Ski Area
Best paying industry	-	Retail

Differences between first cook and kitchen cook education

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

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

First cook vs kitchen cook demographics

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

	First Cook	Kitchen Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 77.2% Female, 22.8%	Male, 65.8% Female, 34.2%
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, 8.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 9.1% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between first cook and kitchen 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.

Kitchen cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Inspect clean and utilize ovens, grills, fryers, mixers, etc.
Experience on grills, fryers, knife handling and slicers.
Experience with fryers, weigh machines, slicers and other similarities.
Used electric ovens and electric stoves.
Regulate temperature of ovens, broilers, grills, and roasters.

First cook vs kitchen cook skills

Common first cook skills

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

Common kitchen cook skills

Dishes, 13%
Food Handling, 11%
Cleanliness, 8%
Math, 8%
Basic Math, 8%
Culinary, 7%

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First Cook vs Kitchen Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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