Special diet cook vs pantry cook

The differences between special diet cooks and pantry 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 pantry cook. Additionally, a special diet cook has an average salary of $33,777, which is higher than the $33,568 average annual salary of a pantry cook.

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

Special diet cook vs pantry cook overview

	Special Diet Cook	Pantry Cook
Yearly salary	$33,777	$33,568
Hourly rate	$16.24	$16.14
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	85,543	145,348
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 36%	Associate Degree, 39%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Special diet cook vs pantry cook salary

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

	Special Diet Cook	Pantry Cook
Average salary	$33,777	$33,568
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $45,000	Between $26,000 And $41,000
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 pantry cook education

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

	Special Diet Cook	Pantry Cook
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 36%	Associate Degree, 39%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Special diet cook vs pantry cook demographics

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

	Special Diet Cook	Pantry Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 59.2% Female, 40.8%	Male, 56.8% Female, 43.2%
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, 8.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 8.8% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between special diet cook and pantry 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.

Pantry cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Use of meat slicers, oven and stove.
Monitor garnishing of desserts and salads for plating.
Handle mixing machines and deli slicers per health regulations.
Maintain all HACCP sanitation guidelines on a daily basis.
Perform culinary skills such as cooking, prepping, and cleaning.

Special diet cook vs pantry cook skills

Common special diet cook skills

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

Common pantry cook skills

Food Handling, 20%
Cleanliness, 18%
Kitchen Equipment, 18%
Quality Standards, 16%
Fine Dining, 7%
Salad Dressings, 4%

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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