Snack bar cook vs prep cook

The differences between snack bar cooks 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 snack bar cook and a prep cook. Additionally, a prep cook has an average salary of $32,292, 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 a prep cook are food handling, culinary, and sanitation standards.

Snack bar cook vs prep cook overview

	Snack Bar Cook	Prep Cook
Yearly salary	$31,636	$32,292
Hourly rate	$15.21	$15.53
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	157,590	168,265
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	High School Diploma, 48%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Snack bar cook vs prep cook salary

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

	Snack Bar Cook	Prep Cook
Average salary	$31,636	$32,292
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $38,000	Between $25,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	-	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Kemps
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between snack bar cook and prep cook education

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

	Snack Bar Cook	Prep Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	High School Diploma, 48%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Snack bar cook vs prep cook demographics

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

	Snack Bar Cook	Prep Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 62.7% Female, 37.3%	Male, 61.3% Female, 38.7%
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, 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 snack bar cook and prep 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.

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.

Snack bar cook vs prep cook skills

Common snack bar cook skills

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

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
Snack Bar Cook
Snack Bar Cook vs Prep Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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