Special diet cook vs kitchen cook

The differences between special diet cooks and kitchen 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 kitchen cook. Additionally, a special diet cook has an average salary of $33,777, which is higher than the $31,452 average annual salary of a kitchen cook.

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

Special diet cook vs kitchen cook overview

	Special Diet Cook	Kitchen Cook
Yearly salary	$33,777	$31,452
Hourly rate	$16.24	$15.12
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	85,543	250,354
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 36%	High School Diploma, 44%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Special diet cook vs kitchen cook salary

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

	Special Diet Cook	Kitchen Cook
Average salary	$33,777	$31,452
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $45,000	Between $25,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	Bainbridge Island, WA	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Massachusetts
Best paying company	St Anthony of Padua High Ridge Catholic Church	Hilltop Ski Area
Best paying industry	-	Retail

Differences between special diet cook and kitchen cook education

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

	Special Diet Cook	Kitchen Cook
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 36%	High School Diploma, 44%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Business
Most common college	-	-

Special diet cook vs kitchen cook demographics

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

	Special Diet Cook	Kitchen Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 59.2% Female, 40.8%	Male, 65.8% Female, 34.2%
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, 8.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 9.1% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between special diet cook and kitchen 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.

Kitchen cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Inspect clean and utilize ovens, grills, fryers, mixers, etc.
Experience on grills, fryers, knife handling and slicers.
Experience with fryers, weigh machines, slicers and other similarities.
Used electric ovens and electric stoves.
Regulate temperature of ovens, broilers, grills, and roasters.

Special diet cook vs kitchen cook skills

Common special diet cook skills

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

Common kitchen cook skills

Dishes, 13%
Food Handling, 11%
Cleanliness, 8%
Math, 8%
Basic Math, 8%
Culinary, 7%

Special Diet Cook vs. similar jobs

Special Diet Cook related careers

Special Diet Cook related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Special Diet Cook
Special Diet Cook vs Kitchen Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse food preparation and restaurant jobs