Fast food cook vs line cook, prep cook

The differences between fast food cooks and line cooks, prep cook can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a fast food cook and a line cook, prep cook. Additionally, a line cook, prep cook has an average salary of $32,982, which is higher than the $26,093 average annual salary of a fast food cook.

The top three skills for a fast food cook include food handling, safety standards and customer service. The most important skills for a line cook, prep cook are kitchen equipment, food handling, and culinary.

Fast food cook vs line cook, prep cook overview

	Fast Food Cook	Line Cook, Prep Cook
Yearly salary	$26,093	$32,982
Hourly rate	$12.54	$15.86
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	275,335	164,756
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 43%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

What does a fast food cook do?

Fast-food cooks maintain utensils, food preparation areas, and cooking surfaces. Besides cooking and serving beverages, fast food cooks also perform their daily duties as per the safety standards and health standards. Their other duties include ordering and taking supply deliveries, cleaning, preparing meals ingredients, and running cooking equipment such as griddles, deep fat fryers, or grills.

What does a line cook, prep cook do?

A line cook/prep cook is responsible for assisting with food preparations, ensuring that all ingredients are readily available and stored safely. Line cook/prep cook tasks also include reviewing and updating menus to keep the customers' patronization. Their duties also include researching the current food industry trends, managing customers' inquiries, resolving serving complaints, monitoring food supplies and inventories, and complying with sanitary regulations. A line cook/prep cook must have excellent time-management and multi-tasking skills to perform various tasks under strict time demands and a fast-paced environment.

Fast food cook vs line cook, prep cook salary

Fast food cooks and line cooks, prep cook have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Fast Food Cook	Line Cook, Prep Cook
Average salary	$26,093	$32,982
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $34,000	Between $26,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Washington
Best paying company	Dell	WESTWOOD COUNTRY CLUB OF AUSTIN
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Retail

Differences between fast food cook and line cook, prep cook education

There are a few differences between a fast food cook and a line cook, prep cook in terms of educational background:

	Fast Food Cook	Line Cook, Prep Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 43%
Most common major	Business	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Fast food cook vs line cook, prep cook demographics

Here are the differences between fast food cooks' and line cooks, prep cook' demographics:

	Fast Food Cook	Line Cook, Prep Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 74.2% Female, 25.8%	Male, 67.6% Female, 32.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 8.6% White, 56.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 9.1% White, 56.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between fast food cook and line cook, prep cook duties and responsibilities

Fast food cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Execute daily operations of filtering of the fryers.
Leverage teamwork to fully utilize kitchen staff to generate remarkable food and service to ensure customer satisfaction.
Can make and food at mcdonalds.

Line cook, prep cook example responsibilities.

Manage the POS system (adding/deleting specials, editing prices, viewing server appetizer/dessert sales and their server report information).
Prepare cold foods, operate ovens, stoves, grills, microwaves, and fryers.
Expedite orders while maintaining food being cook in ovens, griddles, stoves and fryers.
Observe and test foods to determine quality and safety by regulating temperature of ovens, broilers, grills, and fryers.
Set up and break down for any catering parties or buffets.
Cook foods by baking, roasting, broiling, frying, steaming, grilling.

Fast food cook vs line cook, prep cook skills

Common fast food cook skills

Food Handling, 18%
Safety Standards, 17%
Customer Service, 10%
Grills, 6%
Kitchen Equipment, 5%
Culinary, 4%

Common line cook, prep cook skills

Kitchen Equipment, 25%
Food Handling, 11%
Culinary, 10%
Customer Service, 10%
Salad Station, 6%
Line Cooks, 6%

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Fast Food Cook vs Line Cook, Prep Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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