Station cook vs pantry cook

The differences between station cooks and pantry 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 a pantry cook. Additionally, a station cook has an average salary of $33,980, which is higher than the $33,568 average annual salary of a pantry cook.

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

Station cook vs pantry cook overview

	Station Cook	Pantry Cook
Yearly salary	$33,980	$33,568
Hourly rate	$16.34	$16.14
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	136,427	145,348
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	Associate Degree, 39%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Station cook vs pantry cook salary

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

	Station Cook	Pantry Cook
Average salary	$33,980	$33,568
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $42,000	Between $26,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between station cook and pantry cook education

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

	Station Cook	Pantry Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	Associate Degree, 39%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Station cook vs pantry cook demographics

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

	Station Cook	Pantry Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 68.1% Female, 31.9%	Male, 56.8% Female, 43.2%
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, 8.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 8.8% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between station cook and pantry 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.

Pantry cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Use of meat slicers, oven and stove.
Monitor garnishing of desserts and salads for plating.
Handle mixing machines and deli slicers per health regulations.
Maintain all HACCP sanitation guidelines on a daily basis.
Perform culinary skills such as cooking, prepping, and cleaning.

Station cook vs pantry cook skills

Common station cook skills

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

Common pantry cook skills

Food Handling, 20%
Cleanliness, 18%
Kitchen Equipment, 18%
Quality Standards, 16%
Fine Dining, 7%
Salad Dressings, 4%

Station Cook vs. similar jobs

Station Cook related careers

Station Cook related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Station Cook
Station Cook vs Pantry Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse food preparation and restaurant jobs