Specialty cook vs breakfast cook

The differences between specialty cooks and breakfast 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 a breakfast cook. Additionally, a specialty cook has an average salary of $33,829, which is higher than the $33,616 average annual salary of a breakfast cook.

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

Specialty cook vs breakfast cook overview

	Specialty Cook	Breakfast Cook
Yearly salary	$33,829	$33,616
Hourly rate	$16.26	$16.16
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	141,369	187,390
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 44%	High School Diploma, 42%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Specialty cook vs breakfast cook salary

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

	Specialty Cook	Breakfast Cook
Average salary	$33,829	$33,616
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $42,000	Between $26,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	Vancouver, WA	Beverly, MA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Hawaii
Best paying company	Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics	Kohler Co.
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Government

Differences between specialty cook and breakfast cook education

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

	Specialty Cook	Breakfast Cook
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 44%	High School Diploma, 42%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Specialty cook vs breakfast cook demographics

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

	Specialty Cook	Breakfast Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 77.4% Female, 22.6%	Male, 53.7% Female, 46.3%
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, 9.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 8.0% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between specialty cook and breakfast 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.

Breakfast cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Cut steaks, pizzas, work the line, saut and broiler cook, full-time, then part-time 'till they close.
Provide training to all new hire culinary staff.
Cook weekends for man, broiler, saut e, and banquets.
Prepare lunch items, make sandwiches, roll and bake biscuits, wash dishes
Prep and cook breakfast and lunch dishes for locally own bakery and cafe.

Specialty cook vs breakfast cook skills

Common specialty cook skills

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

Common breakfast cook skills

Food Handling, 16%
Cleanliness, 16%
Culinary, 13%
Food Service, 8%
Quality Standards, 8%
Kitchen Equipment, 7%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Specialty Cook
Specialty Cook vs Breakfast Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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