Line cook vs chef de partie

The differences between line cooks and chef de parties can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a line cook, becoming a chef de partie takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a chef de partie has an average salary of $39,938, 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 a chef de partie are culinary, kitchen equipment, and cleanliness.

Line cook vs chef de partie overview

	Line Cook	Chef De Partie
Yearly salary	$32,894	$39,938
Hourly rate	$15.81	$19.20
Growth rate	16%	15%
Number of jobs	168,993	18,913
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	Associate Degree, 46%
Average age	38	42
Years of experience	4	6

What does a line cook do?

Line cooks are responsible for preparing meals for guests or employers. The term line cook brings to mind an assembly line. This is apt because line cooks are usually assigned to a specific station to work on a specific part of a meal or a preparation process. They are part of a bigger group of cooks in the restaurant. This is done so that meal preparation is more efficient. Line cooks are responsible for preparing ingredients, ensuring that the pantry is well-stocked, and doing their assigned activity in the line. They are expected to be good team players, have experience as a cook, and be able to follow recipes and provide alternatives when necessary.

What does a chef de partie do?

A Chef De Partie is responsible for supervising a section of the kitchen, such as pastry, butchery, fish, or sauces. They enforce strict health and hygiene standards.

Line cook vs chef de partie salary

Line cooks and chef de parties have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Line Cook	Chef De Partie
Average salary	$32,894	$39,938
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $40,000	Between $24,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Concord, NH
Highest paying state	Hawaii	New Jersey
Best paying company	Gate City Bank	Itron
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Hospitality

Differences between line cook and chef de partie education

There are a few differences between a line cook and a chef de partie in terms of educational background:

	Line Cook	Chef De Partie
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	Associate Degree, 46%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	Cornell University

Line cook vs chef de partie demographics

Here are the differences between line cooks' and chef de parties' demographics:

	Line Cook	Chef De Partie
Average age	38	42
Gender ratio	Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9%	Male, 81.7% Female, 18.3%
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, 9.7% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 15.3% White, 49.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	9%

Differences between line cook and chef de partie 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.

Chef de partie example responsibilities.

Manage all sections of the kitchen such as sauce, Thai, cuisine, Arabic, and grill.
Manage cold kitchen production for a luxury hotel with a Michelin star restaurant
Look after the kitchen cleaning (HACCP).
Handle ordering and receiving using HACCP.
Design menu items that pair with the currents wine offerings of the winery.
Develop and expand knowledge of French cuisine in a kitchen environment requiring the highest levels of consistency and precision.

Line cook vs chef de partie skills

Common line cook skills

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

Common chef de partie skills

Culinary, 14%
Kitchen Equipment, 10%
Cleanliness, 9%
Food Preparation, 7%
Fine Dining, 6%
Cuisine, 6%

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Line Cook vs Chef De Partie

Updated January 8, 2025

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