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The differences between prep cooks and grill 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 prep cook and a grill cook. Additionally, a prep cook has an average salary of $32,292, which is higher than the $31,895 average annual salary of a grill cook.
The top three skills for a prep cook include food handling, culinary and sanitation standards. The most important skills for a grill cook are sanitation standards, kitchen equipment, and safety standards.
| Prep Cook | Grill Cook | |
| Yearly salary | $32,292 | $31,895 |
| Hourly rate | $15.53 | $15.33 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 168,265 | 184,603 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 48% | High School Diploma, 48% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Prep cooks are responsible for preparing ingredients. They are usually part of an assembly line-like structure in the kitchen. They are often the first station in this assembly line. Prep cooks are in charge of thawing, skinning, cutting, mincing, slicing, and chopping ingredients so that the line cooks can just get these ingredients for their own stations. Prep cooks may also start doing some of the initial activities in the cooking process, such as preparing water for boiling, laying out ingredients, and ensuring that the stoves are clear.
A grill cook's primary role is to take charge of grilling food in restaurants or a similar establishment. Aside from grilling different kinds of food, they are also responsible for the plating, ensuring that it looks presentable and mouth-watering. Moreover, grill cooks have other duties such as preparing supplies and ingredients, maintaining the cleanliness of the work area, and training new members of the workforce. It is also essential to coordinate with other restaurant staff at all times as the operations can be fast-paced and will require accuracy and speed.
Prep cooks and grill cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Prep Cook | Grill Cook | |
| Average salary | $32,292 | $31,895 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $40,000 | Between $25,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Kemps | St. Petersburg Yacht Club |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a prep cook and a grill cook in terms of educational background:
| Prep Cook | Grill Cook | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 48% | High School Diploma, 48% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between prep cooks' and grill cooks' demographics:
| Prep Cook | Grill Cook | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.3% Female, 38.7% | Male, 76.9% Female, 23.1% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 8.5% White, 58.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |