Meal cook vs assistant cook

The differences between meal cooks and assistant 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 meal cook and an assistant cook. Additionally, an assistant cook has an average salary of $34,244, which is higher than the $33,089 average annual salary of a meal cook.

The top three skills for a meal cook include food safety, food preparation and companionship. The most important skills for an assistant cook are food handling, kitchen equipment, and dishes.

Meal cook vs assistant cook overview

	Meal Cook	Assistant Cook
Yearly salary	$33,089	$34,244
Hourly rate	$15.91	$16.46
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	147,104	190,245
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 37%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Meal cook vs assistant cook salary

Meal cooks and assistant cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Meal Cook	Assistant Cook
Average salary	$33,089	$34,244
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $41,000	Between $26,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	-	Hospitality

Differences between meal cook and assistant cook education

There are a few differences between a meal cook and an assistant cook in terms of educational background:

	Meal Cook	Assistant Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 37%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Meal cook vs assistant cook demographics

Here are the differences between meal cooks' and assistant cooks' demographics:

	Meal Cook	Assistant Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 32.0% Female, 68.0%	Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 7.5% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 8.6% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between meal cook and assistant cook duties and responsibilities

Meal cook example responsibilities.

Develop ability to manage multiple stations simultaneously while maintaining high levels of culinary excellence.
Assist with heavy lifting and drive car to help with groceries and other supplies.
Verify patient information, new medications and allergies educate patients by providing medication and diet information.
Create pizzas for customers as listed or request and run a large pizza oven.

Assistant cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Operate stoves, food processors, steamers, slices, ovens.
Ensure ovens and stoves are clean and ready for use.
Train new and current cooks on menu conversion, garnishing, and food presentation.
Prepare and deliver food trays to hospital patients for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Supervise and maintain HACCP standards, training processes for cooks and monitor aspects of contract compliance.

Meal cook vs assistant cook skills

Common meal cook skills

Food Safety, 29%
Food Preparation, 22%
Companionship, 10%
Doctor Appointments, 8%
Food Orders, 6%
Administer Medications, 5%

Common assistant cook skills

Food Handling, 12%
Kitchen Equipment, 11%
Dishes, 9%
Food Service, 8%
Customer Service, 7%
Cleanliness, 6%

Meal Cook vs. similar jobs

Meal Cook related careers

Meal Cook related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Meal Cook
Meal Cook vs Assistant Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse food preparation and restaurant jobs