Line cook vs assistant cook

The differences between line cooks and assistant 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 and an assistant cook. Additionally, an assistant cook has an average salary of $34,244, which is higher than the $32,894 average annual salary of a line cook.

The top three skills for a line cook include culinary, sanitation standards and food handling. The most important skills for an assistant cook are food handling, kitchen equipment, and dishes.

Line cook vs assistant cook overview

	Line Cook	Assistant Cook
Yearly salary	$32,894	$34,244
Hourly rate	$15.81	$16.46
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	168,993	190,245
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 37%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Line cook vs assistant cook salary

Line cooks and assistant cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Line Cook	Assistant Cook
Average salary	$32,894	$34,244
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $40,000	Between $26,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	California
Best paying company	Gate City Bank	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Hospitality

Differences between line cook and assistant cook education

There are a few differences between a line cook and an assistant cook in terms of educational background:

	Line Cook	Assistant Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 37%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Line cook vs assistant cook demographics

Here are the differences between line cooks' and assistant cooks' demographics:

	Line Cook	Assistant Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9%	Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 8.9% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 8.6% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between line cook and assistant cook duties and responsibilities

Line cook example responsibilities.

Used strong organizational skills to manage steamers efficiently for both eat-in and take-out services.
Supervise cooks and manage the preparation, portioning, garnishing, and storage of all food items, cutting meat size.
Manage the POS system (adding/deleting specials, editing prices, viewing server appetizer/dessert sales and their server report information).
Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Used equipment such as meat slicers, salamanders and steamers.
Develop food preparation skills and knowledge of tools involve; such as proper use of knives and automate slicers.

Assistant cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Operate stoves, food processors, steamers, slices, ovens.
Ensure ovens and stoves are clean and ready for use.
Train new and current cooks on menu conversion, garnishing, and food presentation.
Prepare and deliver food trays to hospital patients for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Supervise and maintain HACCP standards, training processes for cooks and monitor aspects of contract compliance.

Line cook vs assistant cook skills

Common line cook skills

Culinary, 12%
Sanitation Standards, 11%
Food Handling, 11%
Team Work, 9%
Kitchen Equipment, 8%
Cleanliness, 8%

Common assistant cook skills

Food Handling, 12%
Kitchen Equipment, 11%
Dishes, 9%
Food Service, 8%
Customer Service, 7%
Cleanliness, 6%

Line Cook vs. similar jobs

Line Cook related careers

Line Cook related jobs

Line Cook jobs by location

Zippia Careers
Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Line Cook
Line Cook vs Assistant Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse food preparation and restaurant jobs