Fry cook vs short order cook

The differences between fry 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 fry cook and a short order cook. Additionally, a short order cook has an average salary of $30,734, which is higher than the $30,622 average annual salary of a fry cook.

The top three skills for a fry cook include kitchen equipment, customer service and safety standards. The most important skills for a short order cook are food handling, customer service, and food preparation equipment.

Fry cook vs short order cook overview

	Fry Cook	Short Order Cook
Yearly salary	$30,622	$30,734
Hourly rate	$14.72	$14.78
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	246,323	176,187
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	High School Diploma, 43%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

What does a fry cook do?

Generally, a fry cook works in a kitchen specializing in fried foods and operating the deep fryer. Fry cooks or chefs cook food by submerging in boiling oil. They prepare food to be fried, work with frying pans, and watch over deep fryers. The skills they need to establish include food preparation, dexterity, physical stamina, and comprehension. They are also expected to be understanding and patient, noting that these qualities help impress the customers.

What does a short order cook do?

A short-order cook takes responsibility for preparing foods in cafes and restaurants. Usually, they fry eggs, cook fries, and prepare sandwiches. Short order cooks work alongside line chefs in the foodservice market. Their manner of preparing food is quick, easy, and simple. They plan and handle work orders ensuring that all orders are complete and served on time. Strong communication, customer service, a good sense of taste, and the ability to work efficiently are necessary requirements for the job.

Fry cook vs short order cook salary

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

	Fry Cook	Short Order Cook
Average salary	$30,622	$30,734
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $38,000	Between $24,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	Fresno, CA	Anaheim, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	Washington
Best paying company	Anthony	Columbia University in the City of New York
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Health Care

Differences between fry cook and short order cook education

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

	Fry Cook	Short Order Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	High School Diploma, 43%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Fry cook vs short order cook demographics

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

	Fry Cook	Short Order Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 80.8% Female, 19.2%	Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 8.5% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	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 fry cook and short order cook duties and responsibilities

Fry cook example responsibilities.

Develop ability to manage multiple stations simultaneously while maintaining high levels of culinary excellence.
Grill burgers and used the deep fryers for various foods, clean all equipment at the end of the shift.
Bread and cook chicken, fry foods, run and clean fryers, clean coolers, do dishes general utilities.
Job responsibilities include preparing and executing dishes, as well as assuming responsibility for cleanliness of restaurant.
Provide friendly, quality, customer service to each Chipotle customer.

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.

Fry cook vs short order cook skills

Common fry cook skills

Kitchen Equipment, 23%
Customer Service, 11%
Safety Standards, 10%
Deep-Fat Fryers, 9%
Food Products, 5%
Fine Dining, 5%

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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Fry Cook vs Short Order Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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