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The differences between line chefs and cooking chefs 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 cooking chef. Additionally, a cooking chef has an average salary of $34,973, 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 cooking chef are food service, food handling, and kitchen equipment.
| Line Chef | Cooking Chef | |
| Yearly salary | $26,651 | $34,973 |
| Hourly rate | $12.81 | $16.81 |
| Growth rate | 15% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 144,227 | 136,558 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| 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 cooking chef oversees all people performing kitchen duties under their mandate. These professionals oversee timeliness, sanitary issues, ingredient preparation, meal preparation, and final presentations. Besides engaging in menu planning and creating recipes, a cooking chef also performs several administrative tasks from one day to another. They place supply orders, track inventory, calculate payroll, calculate costs, and handle complaints from the employee or customer. Moreover, a cooking chef trains the kitchen staff to ensure they perform their duties correctly.
Line chefs and cooking chefs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Line Chef | Cooking Chef | |
| Average salary | $26,651 | $34,973 |
| Salary range | Between $18,000 And $37,000 | Between $24,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chicopee, MA | Teaneck, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Syracuse University | Memphis Country Club |
| Best paying industry | Education | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a line chef and a cooking chef in terms of educational background:
| Line Chef | Cooking Chef | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Drexel University |
Here are the differences between line chefs' and cooking chefs' demographics:
| Line Chef | Cooking Chef | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.4% Female, 30.6% | Male, 76.3% Female, 23.7% |
| 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, 10.6% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 12.0% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |