Food service worker vs cook

The differences between food service workers and cooks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a cook has an average salary of $31,803, which is higher than the $28,753 average annual salary of a food service worker.

The top three skills for a food service worker include food handling, safety standards and customer service. The most important skills for a cook are food handling, food service, and cleanliness.

Food service worker vs cook overview

	Food Service Worker	Cook
Yearly salary	$28,753	$31,803
Hourly rate	$13.82	$15.29
Growth rate	2%	16%
Number of jobs	169,323	184,818
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 44%	High School Diploma, 45%
Average age	37	38
Years of experience	-	4

What does a food service worker do?

Foodservice workers are employees at restaurants, food trucks, or any outlet that provides food to customers. They may be assigned to welcome customers, take food orders, prepare food orders in the kitchen, serve food, handle customer payments, clean up the tables once the guests leave, or maintain the whole store's cleanliness. They may also be assigned to manage inventories, handle stocks and deliveries, and other activities related to the restaurant's successful operations. Foodservice workers must always be hygienic and maintain the sanitation of the area to ensure food safety.

What does a cook do?

Cooks are responsible for preparing meals for guests or employers. They must be knowledgeable about the different recipes and ingredients needed. They are also responsible for managing the inventory and ensuring that the pantry is well-stocked. They prepare meals from scratch, cutting ingredients, measuring them, and following recipes. Cooks should be creative, especially when ingredients are lacking, and they must find alternatives that will not compromise the food taste. They should be precise, imaginative, and patient. Cooks should also have good time management skills and decision-making skills.

Food service worker vs cook salary

Food service workers and cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Food Service Worker	Cook
Average salary	$28,753	$31,803
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $36,000	Between $25,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Urban Honolulu, HI	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Hawaii
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Retail	Government

Differences between food service worker and cook education

There are a few differences between a food service worker and a cook in terms of educational background:

	Food Service Worker	Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 44%	High School Diploma, 45%
Most common major	Business	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Food service worker vs cook demographics

Here are the differences between food service workers' and cooks' demographics:

	Food Service Worker	Cook
Average age	37	38
Gender ratio	Male, 36.6% Female, 63.4%	Male, 70.2% Female, 29.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 7.1% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 8.5% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between food service worker and cook duties and responsibilities

Food service worker example responsibilities.

Volunteer at rehabilitation center/ nursing home escorting and communicating with the patients.
Learned how to do math quickly and efficiently.
Demonstrate money-handling and math skills in processing payments for orders.
Prepare all food stuffs, roasting meats, baking cookies, preparing salads.
Work in full compliance with values of compassion, dignity, excellence, integrity, and team work.
Install and maintain HVAC systems which include walkin coolers and freezers, reach-ins and pass thru and a/c systems

Cook example responsibilities.

Achieve completion to cook, prep and dish meticulous meals to an immense amount of customers with proficient dexterity quality.
Organize production and set up broiler station for lunch shift, manage grill with 30-40 steaks at varying temps and cuts.
Lead cook line and instruct cooks and other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, and presentation of dishes.
Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Develop ability to manage multiple stations simultaneously while maintaining high levels of culinary excellence.
Operate large volume cooking equipment such as grills, deep fryers, and griddles.

Food service worker vs cook skills

Common food service worker skills

Food Handling, 22%
Safety Standards, 9%
Customer Service, 9%
Patients, 7%
Cash Control, 4%
Rehabilitation, 4%

Common cook skills

Food Handling, 14%
Food Service, 10%
Cleanliness, 10%
Kitchen Equipment, 9%
Basic Math, 7%
Culinary, 6%

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Food Service Worker
Food Service Worker vs Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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