Snack bar cook vs assistant cook

The differences between snack bar cooks 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 snack bar cook and an assistant cook. Additionally, an assistant cook has an average salary of $34,244, which is higher than the $31,636 average annual salary of a snack bar cook.

The top three skills for a snack bar cook include kitchen equipment, cleanliness and culinary. The most important skills for an assistant cook are food handling, kitchen equipment, and dishes.

Snack bar cook vs assistant cook overview

	Snack Bar Cook	Assistant Cook
Yearly salary	$31,636	$34,244
Hourly rate	$15.21	$16.46
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	157,590	190,245
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	High School Diploma, 37%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Snack bar cook vs assistant cook salary

Snack bar cooks and assistant cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Snack Bar Cook	Assistant Cook
Average salary	$31,636	$34,244
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $38,000	Between $26,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	-	Hospitality

Differences between snack bar cook and assistant cook education

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

	Snack Bar Cook	Assistant Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	High School Diploma, 37%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Snack bar cook vs assistant cook demographics

Here are the differences between snack bar cooks' and assistant cooks' demographics:

	Snack Bar Cook	Assistant Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 62.7% Female, 37.3%	Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 8.4% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	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 snack bar cook and assistant cook duties and responsibilities

Snack bar cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Answer phones and run cash register.
Grill variety of foods, fryers, pizza, pretzels, and prepping for meals.
Adjust thermostat control to regulate temperature of ovens, broilers, grills, roasters and steam kettles.
Review orders and presentation for minimal mistakes and cleanliness.
Leverage teamwork to fully utilize kitchen staff to generate remarkable food and service to ensure customer satisfaction.

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.

Snack bar cook vs assistant cook skills

Common snack bar cook skills

Kitchen Equipment, 18%
Cleanliness, 17%
Culinary, 14%
Food Handling, 12%
Quality Standards, 6%
Safety Standards, 6%

Common assistant cook skills

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

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Snack Bar Cook vs Assistant Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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