Prep person vs prep cook

The differences between prep people and prep 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 a prep cook. Additionally, a prep person has an average salary of $33,901, which is higher than the $32,292 average annual salary of a prep cook.

The top three skills for a prep person include cleanliness, food products and dishwashers. The most important skills for a prep cook are food handling, culinary, and sanitation standards.

Prep person vs prep cook overview

	Prep Person	Prep Cook
Yearly salary	$33,901	$32,292
Hourly rate	$16.30	$15.53
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	165,758	168,265
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	High School Diploma, 48%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Prep person vs prep cook salary

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

	Prep Person	Prep Cook
Average salary	$33,901	$32,292
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $57,000	Between $25,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Washington
Best paying company	24 Carrots Catering and Events	Kemps
Best paying industry	Professional	Manufacturing

Differences between prep person and prep cook education

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

	Prep Person	Prep Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	High School Diploma, 48%
Most common major	Business	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Prep person vs prep cook demographics

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

	Prep Person	Prep Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 40.5% Female, 59.5%	Male, 61.3% Female, 38.7%
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, 9.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 8.6% White, 57.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between prep person and prep 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.

Prep cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Provide students with first-rate customer service and ensure correct time-temperature control of culinary dishes.
Learned and become CPR certify for emergencies.
Direct and ensure that HACCP procedures are follow.
Plan menu items as needed for caf or catering.
Earn first aid, CPR, and a certification.

Prep person vs prep cook skills

Common prep person skills

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

Common prep cook skills

Food Handling, 15%
Culinary, 15%
Sanitation Standards, 12%
Kitchen Equipment, 9%
Cleanliness, 7%
Team Work, 7%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Prep Person
Prep Person vs Prep Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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