Pastry cook vs banquet cook

The differences between pastry cooks and banquet 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 pastry cook and a banquet cook. Additionally, a pastry cook has an average salary of $34,858, which is higher than the $34,599 average annual salary of a banquet cook.

The top three skills for a pastry cook include culinary, cleanliness and food handling. The most important skills for a banquet cook are culinary, quality standards, and cleanliness.

Pastry cook vs banquet cook overview

	Pastry Cook	Banquet Cook
Yearly salary	$34,858	$34,599
Hourly rate	$16.76	$16.63
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	136,754	151,211
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 51%	Associate Degree, 51%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Pastry cook vs banquet cook salary

Pastry cooks and banquet cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Pastry Cook	Banquet Cook
Average salary	$34,858	$34,599
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $44,000	Between $27,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Hawaii
Best paying company	Sailfish Club of Florida	Grosse Pointe Yacht Club
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Manufacturing

Differences between pastry cook and banquet cook education

There are a few differences between a pastry cook and a banquet cook in terms of educational background:

	Pastry Cook	Banquet Cook
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 51%	Associate Degree, 51%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	Cornell University	-

Pastry cook vs banquet cook demographics

Here are the differences between pastry cooks' and banquet cooks' demographics:

	Pastry Cook	Banquet Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 29.8% Female, 70.2%	Male, 73.8% Female, 26.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 22.5% Asian, 9.6% White, 51.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 9.0% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between pastry cook and banquet cook duties and responsibilities

Pastry cook example responsibilities.

Manage cold kitchen production for a luxury hotel with a Michelin star restaurant
Clean steamers, hot @ cold line.
Serve customers ordering at the bistro.
Work in dining room during Sunday brunch and buffets serving desserts.
Engage in meetings including an annual board presentation of USDA budget.
Focuse on maintaining budget while meeting USDA and BSA nutrition requirements.

Banquet cook example responsibilities.

Manage the POS system (adding/deleting specials, editing prices, viewing server appetizer/dessert sales and their server report information).
Knife skills, baking, roasting, frying, sauteing, and grilling large quantities.
Follow the HACCP guidelines for preparing food
Well verse in cleaning work areas, equipment, utensils, and dishes.
Work on the different stations in the kitchen like saut, grill and bake.
Task involve preparation of fresh meals daily for the hospital patients and the public.

Pastry cook vs banquet cook skills

Common pastry cook skills

Culinary, 17%
Cleanliness, 10%
Food Handling, 10%
Quality Standards, 7%
Fine Dining, 6%
Food Safety, 6%

Common banquet cook skills

Culinary, 14%
Quality Standards, 11%
Cleanliness, 10%
Food Handling, 10%
Kitchen Equipment, 8%
Food Preparation, 7%

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Pastry Cook vs Banquet Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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