Specialty cook vs assistant cook

The differences between specialty cooks and assistant 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 specialty cook and an assistant cook. Additionally, an assistant cook has an average salary of $34,244, which is higher than the $33,829 average annual salary of a specialty cook.

The top three skills for a specialty cook include food handling, culinary and kitchen equipment. The most important skills for an assistant cook are food handling, kitchen equipment, and dishes.

Specialty cook vs assistant cook overview

	Specialty Cook	Assistant Cook
Yearly salary	$33,829	$34,244
Hourly rate	$16.26	$16.46
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	141,369	190,245
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 44%	High School Diploma, 37%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Specialty cook vs assistant cook salary

Specialty cooks and assistant cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Specialty Cook	Assistant Cook
Average salary	$33,829	$34,244
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $42,000	Between $26,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Vancouver, WA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	California
Best paying company	Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Hospitality

Differences between specialty cook and assistant cook education

There are a few differences between a specialty cook and an assistant cook in terms of educational background:

	Specialty Cook	Assistant Cook
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 44%	High School Diploma, 37%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Specialty cook vs assistant cook demographics

Here are the differences between specialty cooks' and assistant cooks' demographics:

	Specialty Cook	Assistant Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 77.4% Female, 22.6%	Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 21.5% Asian, 9.0% White, 55.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 8.6% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between specialty cook and assistant cook duties and responsibilities

Specialty cook example responsibilities.

Work grill, saut, & expediter stations.
Complete culinary tasks using various cooking methods and techniques/ very good knife handling skills.
Work all stations, saut, grill, pantry, fryer, breakfast, in upscale American bistro.
Maintain cleanliness and a sanitary environment within kitchen area to meet all health and safety requirements.
Unload and store groceries and supplies.
Maintain balance inventories of groceries and supplies.

Assistant cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Operate stoves, food processors, steamers, slices, ovens.
Ensure ovens and stoves are clean and ready for use.
Train new and current cooks on menu conversion, garnishing, and food presentation.
Prepare and deliver food trays to hospital patients for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Supervise and maintain HACCP standards, training processes for cooks and monitor aspects of contract compliance.

Specialty cook vs assistant cook skills

Common specialty cook skills

Food Handling, 23%
Culinary, 16%
Kitchen Equipment, 16%
Cuisine, 12%
Food Quality, 7%
Fine Dining, 5%

Common assistant cook skills

Food Handling, 12%
Kitchen Equipment, 11%
Dishes, 9%
Food Service, 8%
Customer Service, 7%
Cleanliness, 6%

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Specialty Cook
Specialty Cook vs Assistant Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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