First cook vs short order cook

The differences between first cooks and short order 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 short order cook. Additionally, a first cook has an average salary of $34,044, which is higher than the $30,734 average annual salary of a short order cook.

The top three skills for a first cook include cleanliness, patients and food handling. The most important skills for a short order cook are food handling, customer service, and food preparation equipment.

First cook vs short order cook overview

	First Cook	Short Order Cook
Yearly salary	$34,044	$30,734
Hourly rate	$16.37	$14.78
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	149,060	176,187
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 44%	High School Diploma, 43%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

First cook vs short order cook salary

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

	First Cook	Short Order Cook
Average salary	$34,044	$30,734
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $42,000	Between $24,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	-	Anaheim, CA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Columbia University in the City of New York
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between first cook and short order cook education

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

	First Cook	Short Order Cook
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 44%	High School Diploma, 43%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

First cook vs short order cook demographics

Here are the differences between first cooks' and short order cooks' demographics:

	First Cook	Short Order Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 77.2% Female, 22.8%	Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9%
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, 10.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 8.1% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between first cook and short order 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.

Short order cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Ensure that ovens and stoves remain at appropriate temperatures.
Clean kitchen including wiping down grills, slicers and deep-frying equipment.
Develop teamwork skills with cooks, dishwashers and wait staff, through efficient clean up and preparation of food.
Prepare guest food orders as they are either transmit via the POS system or orally convey at the counter.
Cook foods on the grill station, oven, barbecue grill, deep fryers, and other industrial cooking apparatus.

First cook vs short order cook skills

Common first cook skills

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

Common short order cook skills

Food Handling, 20%
Customer Service, 14%
Food Preparation Equipment, 11%
Kitchen Equipment, 9%
Food Service, 7%
Safety Standards, 7%

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First Cook vs Short Order Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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