Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between line cooks and chefs 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 takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a chef has an average salary of $46,824, 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 are customer service, food handling, and culinary.
| Line Cook | Chef | |
| Yearly salary | $32,894 | $46,824 |
| Hourly rate | $15.81 | $22.51 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 15% |
| Number of jobs | 168,993 | 65,737 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | 4 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Associate Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 38 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
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.
A chef is the master of the kitchen--someone who is creative and innovative with food. Chefs are the pride and reputation of each restaurant or dining establishments. They make sure every meal served is fresh and oversees the kitchen operation. They also create recipes, study menus, and prepare significant-high-quality dishes that represent the restaurant. They say academic requirements aren't needed, but anyone who has a passion for food and cooking can be a chef.
Line cooks and chefs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Line Cook | Chef | |
| Average salary | $32,894 | $46,824 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $40,000 | Between $31,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Urban Honolulu, HI |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Gate City Bank | Bridgewater Associates |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a line cook and a chef in terms of educational background:
| Line Cook | Chef | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Associate Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Culinary Arts |
| Most common college | - | Drexel University |
Here are the differences between line cooks' and chefs' demographics:
| Line Cook | Chef | |
| Average age | 38 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9% | Male, 74.8% Female, 25.2% |
| 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, 10.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 11.4% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 9% |