Special diet cook vs cook

The differences between special diet cooks and 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 cook. Additionally, a special diet cook has an average salary of $33,777, which is higher than the $31,803 average annual salary of a cook.

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

Special diet cook vs cook overview

	Special Diet Cook	Cook
Yearly salary	$33,777	$31,803
Hourly rate	$16.24	$15.29
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	85,543	184,818
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 36%	High School Diploma, 45%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Special diet cook vs cook salary

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

	Special Diet Cook	Cook
Average salary	$33,777	$31,803
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $45,000	Between $25,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Bainbridge Island, WA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Hawaii
Best paying company	St Anthony of Padua High Ridge Catholic Church	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between special diet cook and cook education

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

	Special Diet Cook	Cook
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 36%	High School Diploma, 45%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Special diet cook vs cook demographics

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

	Special Diet Cook	Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 59.2% Female, 40.8%	Male, 70.2% Female, 29.8%
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, 10.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 8.5% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between special diet cook and 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.

Cook example responsibilities.

Achieve completion to cook, prep and dish meticulous meals to an immense amount of customers with proficient dexterity quality.
Organize production and set up broiler station for lunch shift, manage grill with 30-40 steaks at varying temps and cuts.
Lead cook line and instruct cooks and other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, and presentation of dishes.
Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Develop ability to manage multiple stations simultaneously while maintaining high levels of culinary excellence.
Operate large volume cooking equipment such as grills, deep fryers, and griddles.

Special diet cook vs cook skills

Common special diet cook skills

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

Common cook skills

Food Handling, 14%
Food Service, 10%
Cleanliness, 10%
Kitchen Equipment, 9%
Basic Math, 7%
Culinary, 6%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Special Diet Cook
Special Diet Cook vs Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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