Prep person vs short order cook

The differences between prep people 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 person and a short order cook. Additionally, a prep person has an average salary of $33,901, which is higher than the $30,734 average annual salary of a short order cook.

The top three skills for a prep person include cleanliness, food products and dishwashers. The most important skills for a short order cook are food handling, customer service, and food preparation equipment.

Prep person vs short order cook overview

	Prep Person	Short Order Cook
Yearly salary	$33,901	$30,734
Hourly rate	$16.30	$14.78
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	165,758	176,187
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	High School Diploma, 43%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Prep person vs short order cook salary

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

	Prep Person	Short Order Cook
Average salary	$33,901	$30,734
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $57,000	Between $24,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Anaheim, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Washington
Best paying company	24 Carrots Catering and Events	Columbia University in the City of New York
Best paying industry	Professional	Health Care

Differences between prep person and short order cook education

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

	Prep Person	Short Order Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	High School Diploma, 43%
Most common major	Business	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Prep person vs short order cook demographics

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

	Prep Person	Short Order Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 40.5% Female, 59.5%	Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9%
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, 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%

Differences between prep person and short order 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.

Short order cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Ensure that ovens and stoves remain at appropriate temperatures.
Clean kitchen including wiping down grills, slicers and deep-frying equipment.
Develop teamwork skills with cooks, dishwashers and wait staff, through efficient clean up and preparation of food.
Prepare guest food orders as they are either transmit via the POS system or orally convey at the counter.
Cook foods on the grill station, oven, barbecue grill, deep fryers, and other industrial cooking apparatus.

Prep person vs short order cook skills

Common prep person skills

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

Common short order cook skills

Food Handling, 20%
Customer Service, 14%
Food Preparation Equipment, 11%
Kitchen Equipment, 9%
Food Service, 7%
Safety Standards, 7%

Prep Person vs. similar jobs

Prep Person related careers

Prep Person related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Prep Person
Prep Person vs Short Order Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse food preparation and restaurant jobs