Line cook/dishwasher vs kitchen cook

The differences between line cook/dishwashers and kitchen 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 line cook/dishwasher and a kitchen cook. Additionally, a line cook/dishwasher has an average salary of $34,435, which is higher than the $31,452 average annual salary of a kitchen cook.

The top three skills for a line cook/dishwasher include food handling, cleanliness and dishwashers. The most important skills for a kitchen cook are dishes, food handling, and cleanliness.

Line cook/dishwasher vs kitchen cook overview

	Line Cook/Dishwasher	Kitchen Cook
Yearly salary	$34,435	$31,452
Hourly rate	$16.56	$15.12
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	133,370	250,354
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 54%	High School Diploma, 44%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

What does a line cook/dishwasher do?

A line cook/dishwasher is primarily in charge of prepping food and maintaining their work station's cleanliness while adhering to health standards and protocols. Among their duties include washing and chopping vegetables, cutting meat according to requirements, preparing sauces, and cooking according to an executive chef's directives. They also participate in cleaning and sterilizing kitchen tools and equipment, monitoring the inventory of ingredients, unloading stock deliveries, and taking care of leftovers. Additionally, as a line cook/dishwasher, it is essential to maintain an open communication line with fellow kitchen staff for an efficient workflow.

What does a kitchen cook do?

A kitchen cook prepares food for customers. Kitchen cooks help devise new menu items and methods of cooking. Their duties are to prepare food before the arrival of guests, manage employees in the kitchen, and season food according to recipe needs. They assist other cooks during the food assembly process, estimate food consumption, and organize preparation. They keep records and accounts of food purchases, prepare any necessary sauce before the meal service begins, and so on. As kitchen cooks, they must excel in organizational skills, verbal communication, culinary arts, and kitchen equipment. They should be equipped with knowledge of international cuisines, butchering, and basic computational skills.

Line cook/dishwasher vs kitchen cook salary

Line cook/dishwashers and kitchen cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Line Cook/Dishwasher	Kitchen Cook
Average salary	$34,435	$31,452
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $44,000	Between $25,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	-	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	Hilltop Ski Area
Best paying industry	-	Retail

Differences between line cook/dishwasher and kitchen cook education

There are a few differences between a line cook/dishwasher and a kitchen cook in terms of educational background:

	Line Cook/Dishwasher	Kitchen Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 54%	High School Diploma, 44%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Business
Most common college	-	-

Line cook/dishwasher vs kitchen cook demographics

Here are the differences between line cook/dishwashers' and kitchen cooks' demographics:

	Line Cook/Dishwasher	Kitchen Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 84.2% Female, 15.8%	Male, 65.8% Female, 34.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 8.1% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 9.1% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between line cook/dishwasher and kitchen cook duties and responsibilities

Line cook/dishwasher example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Maintain superb conditions of all grills, fryers, prep areas, and work spaces in the kitchen.
Have to follow certain steps for battering prior to cooking, and use a timer for the fryers for fry.
Leverage teamwork to fully utilize kitchen staff to generate remarkable food and service to ensure customer satisfaction.
Operate dishwasher to fully sanitize incoming dishes and silverware.
Prepare food items with special attention to individual orders concerning allergies and temperatures.

Kitchen cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Inspect clean and utilize ovens, grills, fryers, mixers, etc.
Experience on grills, fryers, knife handling and slicers.
Experience with fryers, weigh machines, slicers and other similarities.
Used electric ovens and electric stoves.
Regulate temperature of ovens, broilers, grills, and roasters.

Line cook/dishwasher vs kitchen cook skills

Common line cook/dishwasher skills

Food Handling, 35%
Cleanliness, 32%
Dishwashers, 25%
Kitchen Equipment, 3%
Culinary, 2%
Line Cooks, 1%

Common kitchen cook skills

Dishes, 13%
Food Handling, 11%
Cleanliness, 8%
Math, 8%
Basic Math, 8%
Culinary, 7%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Line Cook/Dishwasher
Line Cook/Dishwasher vs Kitchen Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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