Chief cook vs lead line cook

The differences between chief cooks and lead line 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 chief cook and a lead line cook. Additionally, a chief cook has an average salary of $38,867, which is higher than the $34,293 average annual salary of a lead line cook.

The top three skills for a chief cook include meal preparation, kitchen equipment and cleanliness. The most important skills for a lead line cook are kitchen equipment, culinary, and fine dining.

Chief cook vs lead line cook overview

	Chief Cook	Lead Line Cook
Yearly salary	$38,867	$34,293
Hourly rate	$18.69	$16.49
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	159,663	173,672
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Associate Degree, 47%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Chief cook vs lead line cook salary

Chief cooks and lead line cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Chief Cook	Lead Line Cook
Average salary	$38,867	$34,293
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $51,000	Between $26,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	-	Kirkland, WA
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	The Culinary Institute of America
Best paying industry	-	Hospitality

Differences between chief cook and lead line cook education

There are a few differences between a chief cook and a lead line cook in terms of educational background:

	Chief Cook	Lead Line Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Associate Degree, 47%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Chief cook vs lead line cook demographics

Here are the differences between chief cooks' and lead line cooks' demographics:

	Chief Cook	Lead Line Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 78.6% Female, 21.4%	Male, 81.2% Female, 18.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 9.0% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 8.9% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between chief cook and lead line cook duties and responsibilities

Chief cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Demand cleanliness of galley and equipment while assisting in meal planning and inventory management.
Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Operate commercial dishwasher and ensure kitchen area are clean and sanitary at all times, catering to following shift crew members.
Display leadership abilities and responsibility by training new employees.

Lead line cook example responsibilities.

Manage food expo; facilitate food temp logs; creation of menu specials; management and supervision of production staff
Skil in the preparation of a variety of culinary styles ranging from contemporary American cuisine to many international culinary styles.
Train and supervise many of the Spanish- speaking dishwashers to work effectively on the line.
Observe workers engage in preparing, portioning, and garnishing foods to ensure that standards are met.
Follow HACCP system, and practice safety and sanitation as well adhere to the company policies and regulations.
Produce HACCP forms and guidelines to have better awareness of quality of food being produce in the kitchen.

Chief cook vs lead line cook skills

Common chief cook skills

Meal Preparation, 21%
Kitchen Equipment, 17%
Cleanliness, 13%
Food Safety, 12%
Food Handling, 8%
Menu Planning, 6%

Common lead line cook skills

Kitchen Equipment, 20%
Culinary, 11%
Fine Dining, 9%
Cleanliness, 8%
Food Handling, 8%
Customer Service, 7%

Chief Cook vs. similar jobs

Chief Cook related careers

Chief Cook related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Chief Cook
Chief Cook vs Lead Line Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse food preparation and restaurant jobs