Kitchen chef vs line chef

The differences between kitchen chefs and line chefs can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a kitchen chef and a line chef. Additionally, a kitchen chef has an average salary of $37,579, which is higher than the $26,651 average annual salary of a line chef.

The top three skills for a kitchen chef include culinary, food handling and quality standards. The most important skills for a line chef are kitchen equipment, sanitation standards, and food handling.

Kitchen chef vs line chef overview

	Kitchen Chef	Line Chef
Yearly salary	$37,579	$26,651
Hourly rate	$18.07	$12.81
Growth rate	15%	15%
Number of jobs	33,785	144,227
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 34%	Associate Degree, 34%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	6	6

Kitchen chef vs line chef salary

Kitchen chefs and line chefs have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Kitchen Chef	Line Chef
Average salary	$37,579	$26,651
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $57,000	Between $18,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	-	Chicopee, MA
Highest paying state	-	New Hampshire
Best paying company	-	Syracuse University
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between kitchen chef and line chef education

There are a few differences between a kitchen chef and a line chef in terms of educational background:

	Kitchen Chef	Line Chef
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 34%	Associate Degree, 34%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Kitchen chef vs line chef demographics

Here are the differences between kitchen chefs' and line chefs' demographics:

	Kitchen Chef	Line Chef
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 70.0% Female, 30.0%	Male, 69.4% Female, 30.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 12.7% White, 53.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 10.4% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between kitchen chef and line chef duties and responsibilities

Kitchen chef example responsibilities.

Integrate key culinary leaders into casino and food and beverage operations, achieving positive results and industry awards.
Create and prepare international cuisine for executive clientele by using ingenuity, organization, efficiency in production and attention to detail
Cook menu items on a grill, broiler, and used a deep fryer, oven, stove, and toaster.
Monitor the buffets, organize inventory, purchase orders, record temperatures, make chocolate sculptures, and sugar sculptures.

Line chef example responsibilities.

Manage food expo; facilitate food temp logs; creation of menu specials; management and supervision of production staff
Clean stoves, ovens, shrowds, floors, stainless steel tables.
Prepare food for special groups including those who have eating disorders or allergies.
Close down the kitchen after each shift, making sure all BOH staff follow closing checklist for kitchen stations.
Maintain highest level of cleanliness and sanitation
Maintain company and government standards of preparation, safety and cleanliness.

Kitchen chef vs line chef skills

Common kitchen chef skills

Culinary, 16%
Food Handling, 13%
Quality Standards, 11%
Kitchen Equipment, 6%
Fine Dining, 5%
Food Storage, 5%

Common line chef skills

Kitchen Equipment, 16%
Sanitation Standards, 11%
Food Handling, 8%
Customer Service, 8%
Cleanliness, 8%
Broilers, 7%

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Kitchen Chef
Kitchen Chef vs Line Chef

Updated January 8, 2025

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