First cook vs pantry cook

The differences between first cooks and pantry 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 pantry cook. Additionally, a first cook has an average salary of $34,044, which is higher than the $33,568 average annual salary of a pantry cook.

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

First cook vs pantry cook overview

	First Cook	Pantry Cook
Yearly salary	$34,044	$33,568
Hourly rate	$16.37	$16.14
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	149,060	145,348
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 44%	Associate Degree, 39%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

First cook vs pantry cook salary

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

	First Cook	Pantry Cook
Average salary	$34,044	$33,568
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $42,000	Between $26,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between first cook and pantry cook education

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

	First Cook	Pantry Cook
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 44%	Associate Degree, 39%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

First cook vs pantry cook demographics

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

	First Cook	Pantry Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 77.2% Female, 22.8%	Male, 56.8% Female, 43.2%
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, 8.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 8.8% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between first cook and pantry 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.

Pantry cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Use of meat slicers, oven and stove.
Monitor garnishing of desserts and salads for plating.
Handle mixing machines and deli slicers per health regulations.
Maintain all HACCP sanitation guidelines on a daily basis.
Perform culinary skills such as cooking, prepping, and cleaning.

First cook vs pantry cook skills

Common first cook skills

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

Common pantry cook skills

Food Handling, 20%
Cleanliness, 18%
Kitchen Equipment, 18%
Quality Standards, 16%
Fine Dining, 7%
Salad Dressings, 4%

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First Cook vs Pantry Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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