Lead line cook vs cook

The differences between lead line cooks and cooks 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 line cook and a cook. Additionally, a lead line cook has an average salary of $34,293, which is higher than the $31,803 average annual salary of a cook.

The top three skills for a lead line cook include kitchen equipment, culinary and fine dining. The most important skills for a cook are food handling, food service, and cleanliness.

Lead line cook vs cook overview

	Lead Line Cook	Cook
Yearly salary	$34,293	$31,803
Hourly rate	$16.49	$15.29
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	173,672	184,818
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 47%	High School Diploma, 45%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

What does a lead line cook do?

Typically, lead line cooks work under the supervision of a chef or head cook in a kitchen. Leadline cooks oversee the food preparation process from start to end. Their duties include the supervision of kitchen staff, recruitment and training of new kitchen employees, and monitoring of food quality. They comply with the sanitation and nutrition regulations of food as well as their safety standards. They should be knowledgeable and have skills in food preparation, customer service, attention to detail, and communication.

What does a cook do?

Cooks are responsible for preparing meals for guests or employers. They must be knowledgeable about the different recipes and ingredients needed. They are also responsible for managing the inventory and ensuring that the pantry is well-stocked. They prepare meals from scratch, cutting ingredients, measuring them, and following recipes. Cooks should be creative, especially when ingredients are lacking, and they must find alternatives that will not compromise the food taste. They should be precise, imaginative, and patient. Cooks should also have good time management skills and decision-making skills.

Lead line cook vs cook salary

Lead line cooks and cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Lead Line Cook	Cook
Average salary	$34,293	$31,803
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $45,000	Between $25,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Kirkland, WA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Washington	Hawaii
Best paying company	The Culinary Institute of America	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Government

Differences between lead line cook and cook education

There are a few differences between a lead line cook and a cook in terms of educational background:

	Lead Line Cook	Cook
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 47%	High School Diploma, 45%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Lead line cook vs cook demographics

Here are the differences between lead line cooks' and cooks' demographics:

	Lead Line Cook	Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 81.2% Female, 18.8%	Male, 70.2% Female, 29.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 8.9% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 8.5% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between lead line cook and cook duties and responsibilities

Lead line cook example 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.
Follow HACCP system, and practice safety and sanitation as well adhere to the company policies and regulations.
Produce HACCP forms and guidelines to have better awareness of quality of food being produce in the kitchen.

Cook example responsibilities.

Achieve completion to cook, prep and dish meticulous meals to an immense amount of customers with proficient dexterity quality.
Organize production and set up broiler station for lunch shift, manage grill with 30-40 steaks at varying temps and cuts.
Lead cook line and instruct cooks and other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, and presentation of dishes.
Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Develop ability to manage multiple stations simultaneously while maintaining high levels of culinary excellence.
Operate large volume cooking equipment such as grills, deep fryers, and griddles.

Lead line cook vs cook skills

Common lead line cook skills

Kitchen Equipment, 20%
Culinary, 11%
Fine Dining, 9%
Cleanliness, 8%
Food Handling, 8%
Customer Service, 7%

Common cook skills

Food Handling, 14%
Food Service, 10%
Cleanliness, 10%
Kitchen Equipment, 9%
Basic Math, 7%
Culinary, 6%

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Lead Line Cook vs Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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