Prep person vs assistant cook

The differences between prep people and assistant 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 person and an assistant cook. Additionally, an assistant cook has an average salary of $34,244, which is higher than the $33,901 average annual salary of a prep person.

The top three skills for a prep person include cleanliness, food products and dishwashers. The most important skills for an assistant cook are food handling, kitchen equipment, and dishes.

Prep person vs assistant cook overview

	Prep Person	Assistant Cook
Yearly salary	$33,901	$34,244
Hourly rate	$16.30	$16.46
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	165,758	190,245
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	High School Diploma, 37%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Prep person vs assistant cook salary

Prep people and assistant cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Prep Person	Assistant Cook
Average salary	$33,901	$34,244
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $57,000	Between $26,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	California
Best paying company	24 Carrots Catering and Events	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Professional	Hospitality

Differences between prep person and assistant cook education

There are a few differences between a prep person and an assistant cook in terms of educational background:

	Prep Person	Assistant Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	High School Diploma, 37%
Most common major	Business	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Prep person vs assistant cook demographics

Here are the differences between prep people' and assistant cooks' demographics:

	Prep Person	Assistant Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 40.5% Female, 59.5%	Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 7.8% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 8.6% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between prep person and assistant cook duties and responsibilities

Prep person example responsibilities.

Manage the POS system (adding/deleting specials, editing prices, viewing server appetizer/dessert sales and their server report information).
Receive and put away all food orders utilizing FIFO.
Prepare and produce food using large-volume cooking equipment such as grills and deep-fat fryers.
Help with waste control and FIFO.
Promote from dishwasher to prep person with the lead over dishwashers
Cook foods by baking, roasting, frying, sauteing and grilling.

Assistant cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Operate stoves, food processors, steamers, slices, ovens.
Ensure ovens and stoves are clean and ready for use.
Train new and current cooks on menu conversion, garnishing, and food presentation.
Prepare and deliver food trays to hospital patients for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Supervise and maintain HACCP standards, training processes for cooks and monitor aspects of contract compliance.

Prep person vs assistant cook skills

Common prep person skills

Cleanliness, 59%
Food Products, 30%
Dishwashers, 5%
Food Handling, 4%
Customer Service, 1%
Kitchen Equipment, 0%

Common assistant cook skills

Food Handling, 12%
Kitchen Equipment, 11%
Dishes, 9%
Food Service, 8%
Customer Service, 7%
Cleanliness, 6%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
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Prep Person vs Assistant Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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