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The differences between lead cooks and cook supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a lead cook and a cook supervisor. Additionally, a cook supervisor has an average salary of $41,118, which is higher than the $35,964 average annual salary of a lead cook.
The top three skills for a lead cook include customer service, food handling and culinary. The most important skills for a cook supervisor are food handling, food service, and portion control.
| Lead Cook | Cook Supervisor | |
| Yearly salary | $35,964 | $41,118 |
| Hourly rate | $17.29 | $19.77 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 160,223 | 183,387 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 35% | High School Diploma, 36% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A lead cook, or lead line cook, is an individual restaurant employee who is in charge of supervising the chain of food preparation done by line cooks. Lead cooks work directly under head cooks or chefs who provide instructions in preparing meals. They are well-versed in the restaurant's food health and safety, such as regular hand washing, utensil sanitizing, and proper garbage disposal. To be a successful lead cook, they must obtain knowledge of various cooking techniques and be passionate about food.
Cook supervisors are responsible for coordinating the kitchen members and ensure that all orders are prepared on time and according to customer specifications. They must be skilled in the culinary department, knowledgeable of the food safety regulations, and lead a team of cooks, washers, and helpers to achieve an organized kitchen. Monitoring the kitchen inventory, scheduling work shifts for the team, and working with the restaurant manager about the week's menu are also the responsibilities of cook supervisors.
Lead cooks and cook supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Cook | Cook Supervisor | |
| Average salary | $35,964 | $41,118 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $46,000 | Between $27,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New York |
| Best paying company | Freeport-McMoRan | Chelsea Jewish Lifecare |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a lead cook and a cook supervisor in terms of educational background:
| Lead Cook | Cook Supervisor | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 35% | High School Diploma, 36% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between lead cooks' and cook supervisors' demographics:
| Lead Cook | Cook Supervisor | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.6% Female, 27.4% | Male, 55.4% Female, 44.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 9.4% White, 57.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 7.7% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |