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The differences between cook/dishwashers and line cooks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a line cook has an average salary of $32,894, which is higher than the $31,703 average annual salary of a cook/dishwasher.
The top three skills for a cook/dishwasher include wash dishes, customer service and dishwashers. The most important skills for a line cook are culinary, sanitation standards, and food handling.
| Cook/Dishwasher | Line Cook | |
| Yearly salary | $31,703 | $32,894 |
| Hourly rate | $15.24 | $15.81 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 133,000 | 168,993 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 58% | High School Diploma, 36% |
| Average age | 36 | 38 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
Cooks/dishwashers must develop kitchen skills to excel in this line of job. Each cook or dishwasher must learn to develop skills in food preparation, sanitation, and customer service. Cooks or dishwashers can be assigned to different areas, either in the kitchen area, food preparation, or in washing dishes. The scope of their responsibilities may include the cooking surface area, specific food items, or menu items. Also, they are expected to maintain the cleanliness of the kitchen, assist in preparing food, and may do any other duties demanded by the chef.
Line cooks are responsible for preparing meals for guests or employers. The term line cook brings to mind an assembly line. This is apt because line cooks are usually assigned to a specific station to work on a specific part of a meal or a preparation process. They are part of a bigger group of cooks in the restaurant. This is done so that meal preparation is more efficient. Line cooks are responsible for preparing ingredients, ensuring that the pantry is well-stocked, and doing their assigned activity in the line. They are expected to be good team players, have experience as a cook, and be able to follow recipes and provide alternatives when necessary.
Cook/dishwashers and line cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cook/Dishwasher | Line Cook | |
| Average salary | $31,703 | $32,894 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $40,000 | Between $26,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | Tacoma, WA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | New Seasons Market | Gate City Bank |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a cook/dishwasher and a line cook in terms of educational background:
| Cook/Dishwasher | Line Cook | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 58% | High School Diploma, 36% |
| Most common major | Business | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between cook/dishwashers' and line cooks' demographics:
| Cook/Dishwasher | Line Cook | |
| Average age | 36 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.7% Female, 18.3% | Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 5.9% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 8.9% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 6% |