Specialty foods cook vs prep cook/dishwasher

The differences between specialty foods cooks and prep cook/dishwashers 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 foods cook and a prep cook/dishwasher. Additionally, a prep cook/dishwasher has an average salary of $31,687, which is higher than the $31,497 average annual salary of a specialty foods cook.

The top three skills for a specialty foods cook include food handling, basic math and dishes. The most important skills for a prep cook/dishwasher are wash dishes, food preparation equipment, and dishwashers.

Specialty foods cook vs prep cook/dishwasher overview

	Specialty Foods Cook	Prep Cook/Dishwasher
Yearly salary	$31,497	$31,687
Hourly rate	$15.14	$15.23
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	189,118	126,351
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	High School Diploma, 57%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Specialty foods cook vs prep cook/dishwasher salary

Specialty foods cooks and prep cook/dishwashers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Specialty Foods Cook	Prep Cook/Dishwasher
Average salary	$31,497	$31,687
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $39,000	Between $25,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Washington
Best paying company	Ncar - The National Center For Atmospheric Research	Seattle Seahawks
Best paying industry	Retail	Retail

Differences between specialty foods cook and prep cook/dishwasher education

There are a few differences between a specialty foods cook and a prep cook/dishwasher in terms of educational background:

	Specialty Foods Cook	Prep Cook/Dishwasher
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 50%	High School Diploma, 57%
Most common major	Business	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Specialty foods cook vs prep cook/dishwasher demographics

Here are the differences between specialty foods cooks' and prep cook/dishwashers' demographics:

	Specialty Foods Cook	Prep Cook/Dishwasher
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 72.7% Female, 27.3%	Male, 80.1% Female, 19.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 7.0% White, 58.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 8.6% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between specialty foods cook and prep cook/dishwasher duties and responsibilities

Specialty foods cook example responsibilities.

Develop ability to manage multiple stations simultaneously while maintaining high levels of culinary excellence.
Operate a large volume of cooking equipment such as grills, deep fryers, and griddles.
Collect orders from customers, clean dining room, wash dishes, safely cook food to customer liking.
Ensure food are stored and cook at correct temperatures by regulating temperature of oven, broilers, grills and roasters.
Bag merchandise by following standard procedures.maintain Drive-thru times.
Leverage teamwork to fully utilize kitchen staff to generate remarkable food and service to ensure customer satisfaction.

Prep cook/dishwasher example responsibilities.

Manage the POS system (adding/deleting specials, editing prices, viewing server appetizer/dessert sales and their server report information).
Operate many kitchen appliances and machines including fryers, grinders, food processors, mixers, and slicers.
Perform basic cooking duties such as operate fryers as well as assist cooks in any way need with entrees.
Receive, prepare and plate orders using commercial grills, fryers, ovens and stoves in a quick and consistent manner.
Prep food items and refrigerate appropriately, maintain cleanliness of restaurant, wash all dishes associate with the daily operations
Operate a dishwasher for a hospital cafeteria.

Specialty foods cook vs prep cook/dishwasher skills

Common specialty foods cook skills

Food Handling, 45%
Basic Math, 35%
Dishes, 5%
Food Service, 4%
Safety Standards, 3%
Food Products, 1%

Common prep cook/dishwasher skills

Wash Dishes, 42%
Food Preparation Equipment, 10%
Dishwashers, 8%
Kitchen Equipment, 4%
Cooking Equipment, 3%
Line Cooks, 3%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Specialty Foods Cook
Specialty Foods Cook vs Prep Cook/Dishwasher

Updated January 8, 2025

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