Pastry cook vs pantry cook

The differences between pastry cooks and pantry 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 pantry cook. Additionally, a pastry cook has an average salary of $34,858, which is higher than the $33,568 average annual salary of a pantry cook.

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

Pastry cook vs pantry cook overview

	Pastry Cook	Pantry Cook
Yearly salary	$34,858	$33,568
Hourly rate	$16.76	$16.14
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	136,754	145,348
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 51%	Associate Degree, 39%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Pastry cook vs pantry cook salary

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

	Pastry Cook	Pantry Cook
Average salary	$34,858	$33,568
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $44,000	Between $26,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	-
Highest paying state	Hawaii	-
Best paying company	Sailfish Club of Florida	-
Best paying industry	Hospitality	-

Differences between pastry cook and pantry cook education

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

	Pastry Cook	Pantry Cook
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 51%	Associate Degree, 39%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	Cornell University	-

Pastry cook vs pantry cook demographics

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

	Pastry Cook	Pantry Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 29.8% Female, 70.2%	Male, 56.8% Female, 43.2%
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, 8.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 8.8% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between pastry cook and pantry 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.

Pantry cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Use of meat slicers, oven and stove.
Monitor garnishing of desserts and salads for plating.
Handle mixing machines and deli slicers per health regulations.
Maintain all HACCP sanitation guidelines on a daily basis.
Perform culinary skills such as cooking, prepping, and cleaning.

Pastry cook vs pantry cook skills

Common pastry cook skills

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

Common pantry cook skills

Food Handling, 20%
Cleanliness, 18%
Kitchen Equipment, 18%
Quality Standards, 16%
Fine Dining, 7%
Salad Dressings, 4%

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Pastry Cook vs Pantry Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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