Specialty cook vs cook

The differences between specialty cooks and 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 cook. Additionally, a specialty cook has an average salary of $33,829, which is higher than the $31,803 average annual salary of a cook.

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

Specialty cook vs cook overview

	Specialty Cook	Cook
Yearly salary	$33,829	$31,803
Hourly rate	$16.26	$15.29
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	141,369	184,818
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 44%	High School Diploma, 45%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Specialty cook vs cook salary

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

	Specialty Cook	Cook
Average salary	$33,829	$31,803
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $42,000	Between $25,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Vancouver, WA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Hawaii
Best paying company	Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Government

Differences between specialty cook and cook education

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

	Specialty Cook	Cook
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 44%	High School Diploma, 45%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Specialty cook vs cook demographics

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

	Specialty Cook	Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 77.4% Female, 22.6%	Male, 70.2% Female, 29.8%
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, 10.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 8.5% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between specialty cook and 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.

Cook example responsibilities.

Achieve completion to cook, prep and dish meticulous meals to an immense amount of customers with proficient dexterity quality.
Organize production and set up broiler station for lunch shift, manage grill with 30-40 steaks at varying temps and cuts.
Lead cook line and instruct cooks and other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, and presentation of dishes.
Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Develop ability to manage multiple stations simultaneously while maintaining high levels of culinary excellence.
Operate large volume cooking equipment such as grills, deep fryers, and griddles.

Specialty cook vs cook skills

Common specialty cook skills

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

Common cook skills

Food Handling, 14%
Food Service, 10%
Cleanliness, 10%
Kitchen Equipment, 9%
Basic Math, 7%
Culinary, 6%

Specialty Cook vs. similar jobs

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Specialty Cook
Specialty Cook vs Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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