Station cook vs assistant cook

The differences between station 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 station cook and an assistant cook. Additionally, an assistant cook has an average salary of $34,244, which is higher than the $33,980 average annual salary of a station cook.

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

Station cook vs assistant cook overview

	Station Cook	Assistant Cook
Yearly salary	$33,980	$34,244
Hourly rate	$16.34	$16.46
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	136,427	190,245
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	High School Diploma, 37%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Station cook vs assistant cook salary

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

	Station Cook	Assistant Cook
Average salary	$33,980	$34,244
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $42,000	Between $26,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	-	Hospitality

Differences between station cook and assistant cook education

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

	Station Cook	Assistant Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	High School Diploma, 37%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Station cook vs assistant cook demographics

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

	Station Cook	Assistant Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 68.1% Female, 31.9%	Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 7.5% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	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 station cook and assistant cook duties and responsibilities

Station cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Filter and boil out fryers.
Share responsibilities with culinary supervisors on weekly food orders and assist in completing restaurant temperature charts nightly.
Maintain and follow proper hygiene and sanitation standards.

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.

Station cook vs assistant cook skills

Common station cook skills

Culinary, 53%
Cold Station, 16%
Food Handling, 8%
Kitchen Equipment, 6%
Fine Dining, 3%
Slicers, 2%

Common assistant cook skills

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

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Station Cook vs Assistant Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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