Third cook vs pantry cook

The differences between third 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 third cook and a pantry cook. Additionally, a third cook has an average salary of $33,974, which is higher than the $33,568 average annual salary of a pantry cook.

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

Third cook vs pantry cook overview

	Third Cook	Pantry Cook
Yearly salary	$33,974	$33,568
Hourly rate	$16.33	$16.14
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	137,854	145,348
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 37%	Associate Degree, 39%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Third cook vs pantry cook salary

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

	Third Cook	Pantry Cook
Average salary	$33,974	$33,568
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $41,000	Between $26,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between third cook and pantry cook education

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

	Third Cook	Pantry Cook
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 37%	Associate Degree, 39%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Third cook vs pantry cook demographics

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

	Third Cook	Pantry Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 63.0% Female, 37.0%	Male, 56.8% Female, 43.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 8.4% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%	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 third cook and pantry cook duties and responsibilities

Third cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
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.

Third cook vs pantry cook skills

Common third cook skills

Food Preparation, 31%
Kitchen Equipment, 29%
Culinary, 25%
HACCP, 15%
Kitchen Line, 0%

Common pantry cook skills

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

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Third Cook vs Pantry Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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