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The differences between line chefs and chef de cuisines can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a line chef and a chef de cuisine. Additionally, a chef de cuisine has an average salary of $51,926, which is higher than the $26,651 average annual salary of a line chef.
The top three skills for a line chef include kitchen equipment, sanitation standards and food handling. The most important skills for a chef de cuisine are culinary, fine dining, and kitchen operations.
| Line Chef | Chef De Cuisine | |
| Yearly salary | $26,651 | $51,926 |
| Hourly rate | $12.81 | $24.96 |
| Growth rate | 15% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 144,227 | 18,300 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | Associate Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Line Chefs are in charge of cooking or preparing meat, vegetables, soup, and other ingredients according to area guidelines. Their responsibilities include managing and supervising kitchen staff, coordinating with fellow chefs, replenishing supply inventories, and setting-up cooking areas, ensuring adequate and high-quality ingredients. Among their other usual tasks involve cutting vegetables and meat, preparing sauces, and resolving issues should any arise. Moreover, they must maintain their designated area's cleanliness, all while enforcing and adhering to the health and sanitation standards.
A chef de cuisine, also known as an executive chef, oversees a kitchen's daily operations in public and private establishments to ensure food quality and efficient services. Their duties require cooking and leadership skills because they involve leading menu development and meal preparation, coordinating staff, delegating responsibilities, selecting and sourcing ingredients, and handling customer issues and concerns promptly and professionally. Moreover, a chef de cuisine leads and empowers staff to reach the kitchen's daily goals while implementing health standards and regulations.
Line chefs and chef de cuisines have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Line Chef | Chef De Cuisine | |
| Average salary | $26,651 | $51,926 |
| Salary range | Between $18,000 And $37,000 | Between $36,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chicopee, MA | Urban Honolulu, HI |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Syracuse University | TPC Group |
| Best paying industry | Education | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a line chef and a chef de cuisine in terms of educational background:
| Line Chef | Chef De Cuisine | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | Associate Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between line chefs' and chef de cuisines' demographics:
| Line Chef | Chef De Cuisine | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.4% Female, 30.6% | Male, 89.6% Female, 10.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 10.4% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 11.2% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |