How To Become A Lead Line Cook: What It Is and Career Path

What is a lead line cook and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Lead line cooks are key members of kitchen staff, working under the supervision of a head cook and overseeing the work of line cooks. Preparing simple dishes that require less sensitive handling than main courses, like soups, salads, and sauces is the responsibility of lead line cooks.

They also function as the right hand of the chef when it comes to preparing desserts. And, of course, making sure health and safety regulations are adhered to by everyone under their rank is also their job.

A lead line cook is not the role for anyone newly entering the culinary world. So if you have made it so far as to consider a lead line cook position, you already know how to handle stress, a fast-paced job, and working long hours. You also have a number of exquisite cooking techniques under your belt, and your passion for cooking is firm.

ScoreLead Line CookUS Average

Salary

2.7

Avg. Salary $34,293

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.2

Growth rate 16%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.23%

Asian 8.93%

Black or African American 9.52%

Hispanic or Latino 18.44%

Unknown 4.89%

White 56.99%

Gender

female 18.80%

male 81.20%

Age - 37

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 37

Stress level

6.2

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

4.3

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.4

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a lead line cook

Explore lead line cook education requirements

Most common lead line cook degrees

Associate

47.2 %

High School Diploma

20.7 %

Bachelor's

20.6 %

Start to develop specific lead line cook skills

Skills	Percentages
Kitchen Equipment	19.90%
Culinary	10.52%
Fine Dining	8.89%
Cleanliness	8.05%
Food Handling	7.74%

Complete relevant lead line cook training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New lead line cooks learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a lead line cook based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real lead line cook resumes.

Gain additional lead line cook certifications

Lead line cook certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific lead line cook certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for lead line cooks include ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification and Food Safety Manager Certification.

More About Certifications

Research lead line cook duties and responsibilities

Manage food expo; facilitate food temp logs; creation of menu specials; management and supervision of production staff
Skil in the preparation of a variety of culinary styles ranging from contemporary American cuisine to many international culinary styles.
Train and supervise many of the Spanish- speaking dishwashers to work effectively on the line.
Observe workers engage in preparing, portioning, and garnishing foods to ensure that standards are met.

Get lead line cook experience

Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a lead line cook. The most common roles before becoming a lead line cook include line cook, sous chef team lead and cook.

Prepare your lead line cook resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your lead line cook resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a lead line cook resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable lead line cook resume templates

Build a professional lead line cook resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your lead line cook resume.

Apply for lead line cook jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a lead line cook job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do lead line cooks rate their job?

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Lead line cook reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Pros

I like being able to work with food and get creative. I enjoy learning new techniques for a set of skills that can be applied outside the workplace.

Cons

It's pretty stressful on the body. I definitely could not see myself doing this the rest of my life; I am 19 and I can admit it's hard work - and I would consider myself in shape. Like dishwashers, I do consider myself underappreciated as well. We don't make very much money - In some cases, the servers make more than us! I think it's because our specific organization doesn't allow the kitchen staff to get tips at all.