Head cook vs fry cook

The differences between head cooks and fry cooks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a head cook, becoming a fry cook takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a head cook has an average salary of $44,412, which is higher than the $30,622 average annual salary of a fry cook.

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

Head cook vs fry cook overview

	Head Cook	Fry Cook
Yearly salary	$44,412	$30,622
Hourly rate	$21.35	$14.72
Growth rate	15%	16%
Number of jobs	156,227	246,323
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 42%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	42	38
Years of experience	6	4

What does a head cook do?

A head cook is responsible for organizing the food preparation, organizing the kitchen operations, and ensuring the quality of the food presented. Head cooks' duties include monitoring the food inventory, creating new recipes, researching current market trends, responding to guests' inquiries and complaints, distributing kitchen tasks to the staff, and maintaining budget goals while maintaining the highest food quality. A head cook must always adhere to the sanitary procedures and hygienic standards, as well as have a broad knowledge of the food industry.

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.

Head cook vs fry cook salary

Head cooks and fry cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Head Cook	Fry Cook
Average salary	$44,412	$30,622
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $61,000	Between $24,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	San Antonio, TX	Fresno, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Washington
Best paying company	Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics	Anthony
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Hospitality

Differences between head cook and fry cook education

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

	Head Cook	Fry Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 42%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	Stanford University	-

Head cook vs fry cook demographics

Here are the differences between head cooks' and fry cooks' demographics:

	Head Cook	Fry Cook
Average age	42	38
Gender ratio	Male, 63.5% Female, 36.5%	Male, 80.8% Female, 19.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 10.3% White, 57.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	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%
LGBT Percentage	9%	6%

Differences between head cook and fry cook duties and responsibilities

Head cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Accommodate all campers and staff with dietary restrictions, food allergies as well as providing vegetarian and vegan options.
Follow all equipment and safety procedures in all operations including slicers, choppers, mixers and other meal processing equipment.
Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Scramble eggs, sausage, potatoes, biscits and gravy.
Create and execute menus for the buffets.

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.

Head cook vs fry cook skills

Common head cook skills

Kitchen Equipment, 41%
Meal Preparation, 15%
Food Service, 7%
Food Preparation, 3%
Quality Standards, 3%
Safety Standards, 2%

Common fry cook skills

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

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Head Cook
Head Cook vs Fry Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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