Special diet cook vs short order cook

The differences between special diet cooks and short order 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 short order cook. Additionally, a special diet cook has an average salary of $33,777, which is higher than the $30,734 average annual salary of a short order cook.

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

Special diet cook vs short order cook overview

	Special Diet Cook	Short Order Cook
Yearly salary	$33,777	$30,734
Hourly rate	$16.24	$14.78
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	85,543	176,187
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 36%	High School Diploma, 43%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Special diet cook vs short order cook salary

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

	Special Diet Cook	Short Order Cook
Average salary	$33,777	$30,734
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $45,000	Between $24,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	Bainbridge Island, WA	Anaheim, CA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Washington
Best paying company	St Anthony of Padua High Ridge Catholic Church	Columbia University in the City of New York
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between special diet cook and short order cook education

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

	Special Diet Cook	Short Order Cook
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 36%	High School Diploma, 43%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Special diet cook vs short order cook demographics

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

	Special Diet Cook	Short Order Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 59.2% Female, 40.8%	Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9%
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, 10.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 8.1% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between special diet cook and short order 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.

Short order cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Ensure that ovens and stoves remain at appropriate temperatures.
Clean kitchen including wiping down grills, slicers and deep-frying equipment.
Develop teamwork skills with cooks, dishwashers and wait staff, through efficient clean up and preparation of food.
Prepare guest food orders as they are either transmit via the POS system or orally convey at the counter.
Cook foods on the grill station, oven, barbecue grill, deep fryers, and other industrial cooking apparatus.

Special diet cook vs short order cook skills

Common special diet cook skills

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

Common short order cook skills

Food Handling, 20%
Customer Service, 14%
Food Preparation Equipment, 11%
Kitchen Equipment, 9%
Food Service, 7%
Safety Standards, 7%

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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