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The differences between lead 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 lead cook and a line cook/dishwasher. Additionally, a lead cook has an average salary of $35,964, which is higher than the $34,435 average annual salary of a line cook/dishwasher.
The top three skills for a lead cook include customer service, food handling and culinary. The most important skills for a line cook/dishwasher are food handling, cleanliness, and dishwashers.
| Lead Cook | Line Cook/Dishwasher | |
| Yearly salary | $35,964 | $34,435 |
| Hourly rate | $17.29 | $16.56 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 160,223 | 133,370 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 35% | High School Diploma, 54% |
| 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.
A line cook/dishwasher is primarily in charge of prepping food and maintaining their work station's cleanliness while adhering to health standards and protocols. Among their duties include washing and chopping vegetables, cutting meat according to requirements, preparing sauces, and cooking according to an executive chef's directives. They also participate in cleaning and sterilizing kitchen tools and equipment, monitoring the inventory of ingredients, unloading stock deliveries, and taking care of leftovers. Additionally, as a line cook/dishwasher, it is essential to maintain an open communication line with fellow kitchen staff for an efficient workflow.
Lead cooks and line cook/dishwashers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Cook | Line Cook/Dishwasher | |
| Average salary | $35,964 | $34,435 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $46,000 | Between $26,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | - |
| Highest paying state | Washington | - |
| Best paying company | Freeport-McMoRan | - |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between a lead cook and a line cook/dishwasher in terms of educational background:
| Lead Cook | Line Cook/Dishwasher | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 35% | High School Diploma, 54% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between lead cooks' and line cook/dishwashers' demographics:
| Lead Cook | Line Cook/Dishwasher | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.6% Female, 27.4% | Male, 84.2% Female, 15.8% |
| 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, 8.7% 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% |