First cook vs line cook/dishwasher

The differences between first cooks and line cook/dishwashers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a first cook and a line cook/dishwasher. Additionally, a line cook/dishwasher has an average salary of $34,435, which is higher than the $34,044 average annual salary of a first cook.

The top three skills for a first cook include cleanliness, patients and food handling. The most important skills for a line cook/dishwasher are food handling, cleanliness, and dishwashers.

First cook vs line cook/dishwasher overview

	First Cook	Line Cook/Dishwasher
Yearly salary	$34,044	$34,435
Hourly rate	$16.37	$16.56
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	149,060	133,370
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 44%	High School Diploma, 54%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

First cook vs line cook/dishwasher salary

First cooks and line cook/dishwashers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	First Cook	Line Cook/Dishwasher
Average salary	$34,044	$34,435
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $42,000	Between $26,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between first cook and line cook/dishwasher education

There are a few differences between a first cook and a line cook/dishwasher in terms of educational background:

	First Cook	Line Cook/Dishwasher
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 44%	High School Diploma, 54%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

First cook vs line cook/dishwasher demographics

Here are the differences between first cooks' and line cook/dishwashers' demographics:

	First Cook	Line Cook/Dishwasher
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 77.2% Female, 22.8%	Male, 84.2% Female, 15.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 9.3% White, 55.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 8.1% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between first cook and line cook/dishwasher duties and responsibilities

First cook example responsibilities.

Maintain all charts and records according to ServSafe and Michigan USDA standards
Provide technical instruction and expert guidance on food preparation to earn culinary arts competitions.
Measure ingredients, using measuring cups and spoons.
Assist in loading and unloading of groceries to vessel.
Cater special menus for people with allergies and special diets.
Do inventory, order groceries, implement company policies and procedures.

Line cook/dishwasher example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Maintain superb conditions of all grills, fryers, prep areas, and work spaces in the kitchen.
Have to follow certain steps for battering prior to cooking, and use a timer for the fryers for fry.
Leverage teamwork to fully utilize kitchen staff to generate remarkable food and service to ensure customer satisfaction.
Operate dishwasher to fully sanitize incoming dishes and silverware.
Prepare food items with special attention to individual orders concerning allergies and temperatures.

First cook vs line cook/dishwasher skills

Common first cook skills

Cleanliness, 33%
Patients, 14%
Food Handling, 8%
Culinary, 7%
Kitchen Equipment, 6%
HACCP, 4%

Common line cook/dishwasher skills

Food Handling, 35%
Cleanliness, 32%
Dishwashers, 25%
Kitchen Equipment, 3%
Culinary, 2%
Line Cooks, 1%

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First Cook
First Cook vs Line Cook/Dishwasher

Updated January 8, 2025

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