Head cook vs pizza cook

The differences between head cooks and pizza 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 pizza cook takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a head cook has an average salary of $44,412, which is higher than the $27,278 average annual salary of a pizza cook.

The top three skills for a head cook include kitchen equipment, meal preparation and food service. The most important skills for a pizza cook are food handling, kitchen equipment, and cleanliness.

Head cook vs pizza cook overview

	Head Cook	Pizza Cook
Yearly salary	$44,412	$27,278
Hourly rate	$21.35	$13.11
Growth rate	15%	16%
Number of jobs	156,227	197,416
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 42%	High School Diploma, 49%
Average age	42	38
Years of experience	6	4

Head cook vs pizza cook salary

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

	Head Cook	Pizza Cook
Average salary	$44,412	$27,278
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $61,000	Between $20,000 And $36,000
Highest paying City	San Antonio, TX	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Washington
Best paying company	Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics	Bertucci's
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Retail

Differences between head cook and pizza cook education

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

	Head Cook	Pizza Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 42%	High School Diploma, 49%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	Stanford University	-

Head cook vs pizza cook demographics

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

	Head Cook	Pizza Cook
Average age	42	38
Gender ratio	Male, 63.5% Female, 36.5%	Male, 73.5% Female, 26.5%
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, 7.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 8.7% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	9%	6%

Differences between head cook and pizza 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.

Pizza cook example responsibilities.

Develop ability to manage multiple stations simultaneously while maintaining high levels of culinary excellence.
Maintain cooking equipment such as ovens and deep fryers.
Operate large-volume cooking equipment such as grills & deep fryers.
Make pizzas, calzones, etc., serve pizza to customers, cashier, use POS system.
Leverage teamwork to fully utilize kitchen staff to generate remarkable food and service to ensure customer satisfaction.
Maintain dry food storage areas: inventory, FIFO rotation, par supply levels, ordering.

Head cook vs pizza 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 pizza cook skills

Food Handling, 24%
Kitchen Equipment, 22%
Cleanliness, 16%
Dishes, 16%
Customer Satisfaction, 10%
Culinary, 3%

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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