Special diet cook vs cook manager

The differences between special diet cooks and cook managers 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 manager. Additionally, a cook manager has an average salary of $36,668, 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 cook manager are kitchen equipment, customer service, and food service.

Special diet cook vs cook manager overview

	Special Diet Cook	Cook Manager
Yearly salary	$33,777	$36,668
Hourly rate	$16.24	$17.63
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	85,543	12,383
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 36%	High School Diploma, 39%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Special diet cook vs cook manager salary

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

	Special Diet Cook	Cook Manager
Average salary	$33,777	$36,668
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $45,000	Between $26,000 And $50,000
Highest paying City	Bainbridge Island, WA	-
Highest paying state	Hawaii	-
Best paying company	St Anthony of Padua High Ridge Catholic Church	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between special diet cook and cook manager education

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

	Special Diet Cook	Cook Manager
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 36%	High School Diploma, 39%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Business
Most common college	-	-

Special diet cook vs cook manager demographics

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

	Special Diet Cook	Cook Manager
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 59.2% Female, 40.8%	Male, 59.7% Female, 40.3%
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, 9.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 7.4% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between special diet cook and cook manager 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 manager example responsibilities.

Manage food expo; facilitate food temp logs; creation of menu specials; management and supervision of production staff
Utilize FIFO and organize shelves.
Educate and confirm employees follow ServSafe procedures
Utilize fryers, broilers, grills, ovens and other industrial cooking equipment.
Operate large volume cooking equipment such as grills, deep fat fryers, and griddles.
Train and certify in ServSafe food handling, storage, and preparation, and communicate these skills to educate kitchen staff.

Special diet cook vs cook manager skills

Common special diet cook skills

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

Common cook manager skills

Kitchen Equipment, 33%
Customer Service, 20%
Food Service, 5%
Payroll, 5%
Food Preparation, 3%
Customer Complaints, 3%

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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