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The differences between grill cooks and chefs can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a grill cook, becoming a chef takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a chef has an average salary of $46,824, which is higher than the $31,895 average annual salary of a grill cook.
The top three skills for a grill cook include sanitation standards, kitchen equipment and safety standards. The most important skills for a chef are customer service, food handling, and culinary.
| Grill Cook | Chef | |
| Yearly salary | $31,895 | $46,824 |
| Hourly rate | $15.33 | $22.51 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 184,603 | 65,737 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 48% | Associate Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 38 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A grill cook's primary role is to take charge of grilling food in restaurants or a similar establishment. Aside from grilling different kinds of food, they are also responsible for the plating, ensuring that it looks presentable and mouth-watering. Moreover, grill cooks have other duties such as preparing supplies and ingredients, maintaining the cleanliness of the work area, and training new members of the workforce. It is also essential to coordinate with other restaurant staff at all times as the operations can be fast-paced and will require accuracy and speed.
A chef is the master of the kitchen--someone who is creative and innovative with food. Chefs are the pride and reputation of each restaurant or dining establishments. They make sure every meal served is fresh and oversees the kitchen operation. They also create recipes, study menus, and prepare significant-high-quality dishes that represent the restaurant. They say academic requirements aren't needed, but anyone who has a passion for food and cooking can be a chef.
Grill cooks and chefs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Grill Cook | Chef | |
| Average salary | $31,895 | $46,824 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $39,000 | Between $31,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Urban Honolulu, HI |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | St. Petersburg Yacht Club | Bridgewater Associates |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a grill cook and a chef in terms of educational background:
| Grill Cook | Chef | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 48% | Associate Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | - | Drexel University |
Here are the differences between grill cooks' and chefs' demographics:
| Grill Cook | Chef | |
| Average age | 38 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.9% Female, 23.1% | Male, 74.8% Female, 25.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 8.5% White, 58.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 11.4% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 9% |