Special diet cook vs banquet cook

The differences between special diet cooks and banquet 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 special diet cook and a banquet cook. Additionally, a banquet cook has an average salary of $34,599, which is higher than the $33,777 average annual salary of a special diet cook.

The top three skills for a special diet cook include food handling, food preparation and food safety. The most important skills for a banquet cook are culinary, quality standards, and cleanliness.

Special diet cook vs banquet cook overview

	Special Diet Cook	Banquet Cook
Yearly salary	$33,777	$34,599
Hourly rate	$16.24	$16.63
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	85,543	151,211
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 36%	Associate Degree, 51%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Special diet cook vs banquet cook salary

Special diet cooks and banquet cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Special Diet Cook	Banquet Cook
Average salary	$33,777	$34,599
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $45,000	Between $27,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Bainbridge Island, WA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Hawaii
Best paying company	St Anthony of Padua High Ridge Catholic Church	Grosse Pointe Yacht Club
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between special diet cook and banquet cook education

There are a few differences between a special diet cook and a banquet cook in terms of educational background:

	Special Diet Cook	Banquet Cook
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 36%	Associate Degree, 51%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Special diet cook vs banquet cook demographics

Here are the differences between special diet cooks' and banquet cooks' demographics:

	Special Diet Cook	Banquet Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 59.2% Female, 40.8%	Male, 73.8% Female, 26.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 8.5% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 9.0% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between special diet cook and banquet cook duties and responsibilities

Special diet cook example responsibilities.

Coordinate with in-house & outside counsel, practice development
Prep individual food plates for children with allergies, intolerances, and special diets.
Prepare three meals daily for individuals with dietary restrictionsKeep organize lists of all dietary restrictions and allergies.
Cook with convection oven, large tilt skillets, flat grills, fryers, large chef knives, and measuring utensils.
Learned successful techniques for operating a small business including leadership skills, time-management skills, and decision-making skills.
puree, soft, normal, no dairy, etc.

Banquet cook example responsibilities.

Manage the POS system (adding/deleting specials, editing prices, viewing server appetizer/dessert sales and their server report information).
Knife skills, baking, roasting, frying, sauteing, and grilling large quantities.
Follow the HACCP guidelines for preparing food
Well verse in cleaning work areas, equipment, utensils, and dishes.
Work on the different stations in the kitchen like saut, grill and bake.
Task involve preparation of fresh meals daily for the hospital patients and the public.

Special diet cook vs banquet cook skills

Common special diet cook skills

Food Handling, 41%
Food Preparation, 35%
Food Safety, 20%
Allergies, 4%

Common banquet cook skills

Culinary, 14%
Quality Standards, 11%
Cleanliness, 10%
Food Handling, 10%
Kitchen Equipment, 8%
Food Preparation, 7%

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Special Diet Cook
Special Diet Cook vs Banquet Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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