Line cook demographics and statistics in the US
Line cook demographics research summary. Zippia estimates line cook demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our line cook estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about line cooks after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 1,020,993 line cooks currently employed in the United States.
- 26.9% of all line cooks are women, while 73.1% are men.
- The average line cook age is 38 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of line cooks is White (57.6%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (18.2%), Black or African American (9.4%) and Asian (8.9%).
- In 2022, women earned 96% of what men earned.
- 6% of all line cooks are LGBT.
- Line cooks are 79% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Line cook demographics by:
Line cook gender statistics
26.9% of line cooks are women and 73.1% of line cooks are men.
- Male, 73.1%
- Female, 26.9%
Line cook gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 73.1% |
| Female | 26.9% |
Line cook gender pay gap
Women earn 96¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$33,963
Female income
$32,748
Line cook gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in line cook positions over time. Currently, 26.9% of line cooks are female.
Line cook gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 70.39% | 29.61% |
| 2011 | 70.79% | 29.21% |
| 2012 | 71.81% | 28.19% |
| 2013 | 71.90% | 28.10% |
| 2014 | 73.08% | 26.92% |
| 2015 | 72.36% | 27.64% |
| 2016 | 73.19% | 26.81% |
| 2017 | 73.23% | 26.77% |
| 2018 | 72.55% | 27.45% |
| 2019 | 72.30% | 27.70% |
| 2020 | 73.03% | 26.97% |
| 2021 | 73.08% | 26.92% |
Line cook related jobs gender ratio
We compared line cooks with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, saucier and vacuum kettle cook have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Diet Clerk | 13% | 87% |
| Dietary Clerk | 16% | 84% |
| School Cafeteria Cook | 20% | 80% |
| Line Cook | 73% | 27% |
| Line Cook/Dishwasher | 84% | 16% |
| Vacuum Kettle Cook | 87% | 13% |
| Saucier | 91% | 9% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Line cook demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among line cooks is White, which makes up 57.6% of all line cooks. Comparatively, 18.2% of line cooks are Hispanic or Latino and 9.4% of line cooks are Black or African American.
- White, 57.6%
- Hispanic or Latino, 18.2%
- Black or African American, 9.4%
- Asian, 8.9%
- Unknown, 4.8%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
Line cook race
| Line cook race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 57.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 18.2% |
| Black or African American | 9.4% |
| Asian | 8.9% |
| Unknown | 4.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.1% |
Line cook race and ethnicity over time
See how line cook racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Line cook race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 61.91% | 10.97% | 7.81% | 16.47% |
| 2011 | 61.71% | 12.17% | 7.85% | 14.98% |
| 2012 | 61.38% | 11.70% | 7.65% | 15.94% |
| 2013 | 61.53% | 11.55% | 7.63% | 16.14% |
| 2014 | 61.11% | 11.41% | 7.91% | 16.09% |
| 2015 | 61.15% | 11.17% | 8.01% | 16.21% |
| 2016 | 60.83% | 10.82% | 7.94% | 16.67% |
| 2017 | 59.97% | 10.45% | 8.11% | 17.25% |
| 2018 | 61.08% | 10.43% | 7.99% | 16.74% |
| 2019 | 61.13% | 10.02% | 8.35% | 16.67% |
| 2020 | 59.11% | 9.37% | 8.60% | 16.86% |
| 2021 | 57.57% | 9.36% | 8.89% | 18.16% |
Line cook wage gap by race
According to our data, asian line cooks have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american line cooks have the lowest average salary at $33,470.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $33,727 |
| White | $33,771 |
| Black or African American | $33,470 |
| Asian | $34,559 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $34,298 |
Average line cook age
See how the average age of line cooks varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Line cook age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 35 | 45 |
| Unknown | 27 | 36 |
| Asian | 42 | 49.5 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 35 | 42 |
| White | 29 | 44 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 31.5 | 49 |
Line cook age breakdown
The average age of line cooks is 40+ years years old, representing 45% of the line cook population.
Line cook age breakdown
| Line Cook Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 45% |
| 30-40 years | 22% |
| 20-30 years | 26% |
Line cook educational attainment
The most common degree for line cooks is high school diploma, with 36% of line cooks earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 29% and associate degree degree at 20%.
- High School Diploma, 36%
- Associate, 29%
- Bachelor's, 20%
- Diploma, 10%
- Other Degrees, 5%
Line cooks by degree level
| Line cook degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 36% |
| Associate | 29% |
| Bachelor's | 20% |
| Diploma | 10% |
| Other Degrees | 5% |
Line cook jobs you might like
Line cook wage gap by degree level
According to the data, line cooks with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $34,871 annually. With a Associate degree, line cooks earn a median annual income of $34,135 compared to $33,449 for line cooks with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $33,449 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $34,871 |
| No Education | $33,094 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $34,135 |
Line cook employment statistics
Most line cooks work for a private in the hospitality industry.
Company size where line cooks work
Below, you can see the size of companies where line cooks work.
Line cook jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 6% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 12% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 16% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 7% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 36% |
| > 10,000 employees | 23% |
Line cook jobs by company type
Employees with the line cook job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most line cooks prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Line cook jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 1% |
| Public | 20% |
| Private | 79% |
| Government | 0% |
Line cook jobs by industry
The most common industries for line cooks are hospitality, retail and media.
Line cook industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Hospitality | 73% |
| Retail | 4% |
| Media | 4% |
| Professional | 4% |
| Start-up | 3% |
| Fortune 500 | 3% |
| Manufacturing | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Health Care | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Education | 1% |
Line cook turnover and employment statistics
Line cook unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for line cooks between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Line cook unemployment rate by year
| Year | Line cook unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 13.74% |
| 2011 | 13.72% |
| 2012 | 12.24% |
| 2013 | 11.55% |
| 2014 | 9.93% |
| 2015 | 8.76% |
| 2016 | 8.73% |
| 2017 | 7.83% |
| 2018 | 7.48% |
| 2019 | 6.91% |
| 2020 | 10.00% |
| 2021 | 10.11% |
Average line cook tenure
The average line cook stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 116,862 line cooks resumes in Zippia's database.
Line cook tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 39% |
| 1-2 years | 35% |
| 3-4 years | 11% |
| 5-7 years | 10% |
| 8-10 years | 3% |
| 11+ years | 2% |
Line cook LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of line cooks that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Line Cook | 5.53% | - |
| Food Service Assistant | 6.78% | 149,665 |
| Customer Service And Serving | 7.02% | 248,533 |
| HMS Host | 7.29% | 10,342 |
| Kitchen Crew | 7.36% | 166,944 |
| Bartender/Certified Trainer | 7.68% | 80,818 |
| Caterer | 8.43% | 1,648 |
Similar line cook jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Food Service Assistant | 6.78% | 149,665 |
| Customer Service And Serving | 7.02% | 248,533 |
| HMS Host | 7.29% | 10,342 |
| Kitchen Crew | 7.36% | 166,944 |
| Bartender/Certified Trainer | 7.68% | 80,818 |
| Caterer | 8.43% | 1,648 |
Foreign languages spoken by line cooks
The most common foreign language among line cooks is Spanish at 65.4%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 11.5% and Italian is the third-most popular at 6.2%.
- Spanish, 65.4%
- French, 11.5%
- Italian, 6.2%
- German, 3.5%
- Portuguese, 2.3%
- Other, 11.1%
Line cook languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 65.4% |
| French | 11.5% |
| Italian | 6.2% |
| German | 3.5% |
| Portuguese | 2.3% |
| Other | 11.1% |
