Lunch cook vs prep cook

The differences between lunch cooks and prep 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 lunch cook and a prep cook. Additionally, a lunch cook has an average salary of $32,796, which is higher than the $32,292 average annual salary of a prep cook.

The top three skills for a lunch cook include kitchen equipment, culinary and food handling. The most important skills for a prep cook are food handling, culinary, and sanitation standards.

Lunch cook vs prep cook overview

	Lunch Cook	Prep Cook
Yearly salary	$32,796	$32,292
Hourly rate	$15.77	$15.53
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	141,550	168,265
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 36%	High School Diploma, 48%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Lunch cook vs prep cook salary

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

	Lunch Cook	Prep Cook
Average salary	$32,796	$32,292
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $40,000	Between $25,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	-	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Kemps
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between lunch cook and prep cook education

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

	Lunch Cook	Prep Cook
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 36%	High School Diploma, 48%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Lunch cook vs prep cook demographics

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

	Lunch Cook	Prep Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 57.4% Female, 42.6%	Male, 61.3% Female, 38.7%
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, 9.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 8.6% White, 57.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between lunch cook and prep 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.

Prep cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Provide students with first-rate customer service and ensure correct time-temperature control of culinary dishes.
Learned and become CPR certify for emergencies.
Direct and ensure that HACCP procedures are follow.
Plan menu items as needed for caf or catering.
Earn first aid, CPR, and a certification.

Lunch cook vs prep cook skills

Common lunch cook skills

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

Common prep cook skills

Food Handling, 15%
Culinary, 15%
Sanitation Standards, 12%
Kitchen Equipment, 9%
Cleanliness, 7%
Team Work, 7%

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Lunch Cook vs Prep Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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