Lunch cook vs head cook

The differences between lunch cooks and head cooks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a lunch cook, becoming a head cook takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a head cook has an average salary of $44,412, which is higher than the $32,796 average annual salary of a lunch cook.

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

Lunch cook vs head cook overview

	Lunch Cook	Head Cook
Yearly salary	$32,796	$44,412
Hourly rate	$15.77	$21.35
Growth rate	16%	15%
Number of jobs	141,550	156,227
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 36%	High School Diploma, 42%
Average age	38	42
Years of experience	4	6

Lunch cook vs head cook salary

Lunch cooks and head cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Lunch Cook	Head Cook
Average salary	$32,796	$44,412
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $40,000	Between $32,000 And $61,000
Highest paying City	-	San Antonio, TX
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between lunch cook and head cook education

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

	Lunch Cook	Head Cook
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 36%	High School Diploma, 42%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	Stanford University

Lunch cook vs head cook demographics

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

	Lunch Cook	Head Cook
Average age	38	42
Gender ratio	Male, 57.4% Female, 42.6%	Male, 63.5% Female, 36.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 8.1% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	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%
LGBT Percentage	6%	9%

Differences between lunch cook and head cook duties and responsibilities

Lunch cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Operate ovens, stoves, microwaves, fryers, slicers, blenders, scales, and food processor.
Work saut, grill and fryers.
Prepare omelets and pasta make to order as well as carving station.
Implement cleanliness and sanitation of establishment.
Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.

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.

Lunch cook vs head cook skills

Common lunch cook skills

Kitchen Equipment, 14%
Culinary, 14%
Food Handling, 14%
Dishes, 13%
Cleanliness, 10%
Lunch Orders, 6%

Common head cook skills

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

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Lunch Cook
Lunch Cook vs Head Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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