Pastry cook vs cook

The differences between pastry cooks and 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 cook. Additionally, a pastry cook has an average salary of $34,858, which is higher than the $31,803 average annual salary of a cook.

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

Pastry cook vs cook overview

	Pastry Cook	Cook
Yearly salary	$34,858	$31,803
Hourly rate	$16.76	$15.29
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	136,754	184,818
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 51%	High School Diploma, 45%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

What does a pastry cook do?

The Pastry Cook's responsibilities include preparing quality pastry items such as breakfast items, desserts, breads, ice creams, creams, simple syrups, amenities, and others. They are also responsible for minimizing waste and maintaining control to attain forecasted food cost.

What does a cook do?

Cooks are responsible for preparing meals for guests or employers. They must be knowledgeable about the different recipes and ingredients needed. They are also responsible for managing the inventory and ensuring that the pantry is well-stocked. They prepare meals from scratch, cutting ingredients, measuring them, and following recipes. Cooks should be creative, especially when ingredients are lacking, and they must find alternatives that will not compromise the food taste. They should be precise, imaginative, and patient. Cooks should also have good time management skills and decision-making skills.

Pastry cook vs cook salary

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

	Pastry Cook	Cook
Average salary	$34,858	$31,803
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $44,000	Between $25,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Hawaii
Best paying company	Sailfish Club of Florida	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Government

Differences between pastry cook and cook education

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

	Pastry Cook	Cook
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 51%	High School Diploma, 45%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	Cornell University	-

Pastry cook vs cook demographics

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

	Pastry Cook	Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 29.8% Female, 70.2%	Male, 70.2% Female, 29.8%
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, 10.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 8.5% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between pastry cook and 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.

Cook example responsibilities.

Achieve completion to cook, prep and dish meticulous meals to an immense amount of customers with proficient dexterity quality.
Organize production and set up broiler station for lunch shift, manage grill with 30-40 steaks at varying temps and cuts.
Lead cook line and instruct cooks and other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, and presentation of dishes.
Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Develop ability to manage multiple stations simultaneously while maintaining high levels of culinary excellence.
Operate large volume cooking equipment such as grills, deep fryers, and griddles.

Pastry cook vs cook skills

Common pastry cook skills

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

Common cook skills

Food Handling, 14%
Food Service, 10%
Cleanliness, 10%
Kitchen Equipment, 9%
Basic Math, 7%
Culinary, 6%

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Pastry Cook vs Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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