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The differences between prep cooks and short order 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 short order cook. Additionally, a prep cook has an average salary of $32,292, which is higher than the $30,734 average annual salary of a short order cook.
The top three skills for a prep cook include food handling, culinary and sanitation standards. The most important skills for a short order cook are food handling, customer service, and food preparation equipment.
| Prep Cook | Short Order Cook | |
| Yearly salary | $32,292 | $30,734 |
| Hourly rate | $15.53 | $14.78 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 168,265 | 176,187 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 48% | High School Diploma, 43% |
| 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 short-order cook takes responsibility for preparing foods in cafes and restaurants. Usually, they fry eggs, cook fries, and prepare sandwiches. Short order cooks work alongside line chefs in the foodservice market. Their manner of preparing food is quick, easy, and simple. They plan and handle work orders ensuring that all orders are complete and served on time. Strong communication, customer service, a good sense of taste, and the ability to work efficiently are necessary requirements for the job.
Prep cooks and short order cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Prep Cook | Short Order Cook | |
| Average salary | $32,292 | $30,734 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $40,000 | Between $24,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Anaheim, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Kemps | Columbia University in the City of New York |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a prep cook and a short order cook in terms of educational background:
| Prep Cook | Short Order Cook | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 48% | High School Diploma, 43% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between prep cooks' and short order cooks' demographics:
| Prep Cook | Short Order Cook | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.3% Female, 38.7% | Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9% |
| 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, 10.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 8.1% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |