Lead line cook vs fry cook

The differences between lead line cooks and fry 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 fry cook. Additionally, a lead line cook has an average salary of $34,293, which is higher than the $30,622 average annual salary of a fry cook.

The top three skills for a lead line cook include kitchen equipment, culinary and fine dining. The most important skills for a fry cook are kitchen equipment, customer service, and safety standards.

Lead line cook vs fry cook overview

	Lead Line Cook	Fry Cook
Yearly salary	$34,293	$30,622
Hourly rate	$16.49	$14.72
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	173,672	246,323
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 47%	High School Diploma, 53%
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 fry cook do?

Generally, a fry cook works in a kitchen specializing in fried foods and operating the deep fryer. Fry cooks or chefs cook food by submerging in boiling oil. They prepare food to be fried, work with frying pans, and watch over deep fryers. The skills they need to establish include food preparation, dexterity, physical stamina, and comprehension. They are also expected to be understanding and patient, noting that these qualities help impress the customers.

Lead line cook vs fry cook salary

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

	Lead Line Cook	Fry Cook
Average salary	$34,293	$30,622
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $45,000	Between $24,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	Kirkland, WA	Fresno, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	Washington
Best paying company	The Culinary Institute of America	Anthony
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Hospitality

Differences between lead line cook and fry cook education

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

	Lead Line Cook	Fry Cook
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 47%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Lead line cook vs fry cook demographics

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

	Lead Line Cook	Fry Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 81.2% Female, 18.8%	Male, 80.8% Female, 19.2%
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, 10.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 8.5% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between lead line cook and fry 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.

Fry cook example responsibilities.

Develop ability to manage multiple stations simultaneously while maintaining high levels of culinary excellence.
Grill burgers and used the deep fryers for various foods, clean all equipment at the end of the shift.
Bread and cook chicken, fry foods, run and clean fryers, clean coolers, do dishes general utilities.
Job responsibilities include preparing and executing dishes, as well as assuming responsibility for cleanliness of restaurant.
Provide friendly, quality, customer service to each Chipotle customer.

Lead line cook vs fry cook skills

Common lead line cook skills

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

Common fry cook skills

Kitchen Equipment, 23%
Customer Service, 11%
Safety Standards, 10%
Deep-Fat Fryers, 9%
Food Products, 5%
Fine Dining, 5%

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Lead Line Cook vs Fry Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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