Meal cook vs prep cook

The differences between meal 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 meal cook and a prep cook. Additionally, a meal cook has an average salary of $33,089, which is higher than the $32,292 average annual salary of a prep cook.

The top three skills for a meal cook include food safety, food preparation and companionship. The most important skills for a prep cook are food handling, culinary, and sanitation standards.

Meal cook vs prep cook overview

	Meal Cook	Prep Cook
Yearly salary	$33,089	$32,292
Hourly rate	$15.91	$15.53
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	147,104	168,265
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 48%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Meal cook vs prep cook salary

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

	Meal Cook	Prep Cook
Average salary	$33,089	$32,292
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $41,000	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 meal cook and prep cook education

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

	Meal Cook	Prep Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 48%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Meal cook vs prep cook demographics

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

	Meal Cook	Prep Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 32.0% Female, 68.0%	Male, 61.3% Female, 38.7%
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, 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 meal cook and prep 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.

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.

Meal cook vs prep cook skills

Common meal cook skills

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

Common prep cook skills

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

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Meal Cook vs Prep Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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