Line cook vs fry cook

The differences between line cooks and fry 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 a fry cook. Additionally, a line cook has an average salary of $32,894, which is higher than the $30,622 average annual salary of a fry cook.

The top three skills for a line cook include culinary, sanitation standards and food handling. The most important skills for a fry cook are kitchen equipment, customer service, and safety standards.

Line cook vs fry cook overview

	Line Cook	Fry Cook
Yearly salary	$32,894	$30,622
Hourly rate	$15.81	$14.72
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	168,993	246,323
Job satisfaction	4	4
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

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 fry cook do?

Generally, a fry cook works in a kitchen specializing in fried foods and operating the deep fryer. Fry cooks or chefs cook food by submerging in boiling oil. They prepare food to be fried, work with frying pans, and watch over deep fryers. The skills they need to establish include food preparation, dexterity, physical stamina, and comprehension. They are also expected to be understanding and patient, noting that these qualities help impress the customers.

Line cook vs fry cook salary

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

	Line Cook	Fry Cook
Average salary	$32,894	$30,622
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $40,000	Between $24,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Fresno, CA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Washington
Best paying company	Gate City Bank	Anthony
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Hospitality

Differences between line cook and fry cook education

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

	Line Cook	Fry Cook
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Line cook vs fry cook demographics

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

	Line Cook	Fry Cook
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9%	Male, 80.8% Female, 19.2%
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, 10.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 8.5% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between line cook and fry 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.

Fry cook example responsibilities.

Develop ability to manage multiple stations simultaneously while maintaining high levels of culinary excellence.
Grill burgers and used the deep fryers for various foods, clean all equipment at the end of the shift.
Bread and cook chicken, fry foods, run and clean fryers, clean coolers, do dishes general utilities.
Job responsibilities include preparing and executing dishes, as well as assuming responsibility for cleanliness of restaurant.
Provide friendly, quality, customer service to each Chipotle customer.

Line cook vs fry cook skills

Common line cook skills

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

Common fry cook skills

Kitchen Equipment, 23%
Customer Service, 11%
Safety Standards, 10%
Deep-Fat Fryers, 9%
Food Products, 5%
Fine Dining, 5%

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Line Cook
Line Cook vs Fry Cook

Updated January 8, 2025

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