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The differences between line cooks and kitchen 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 kitchen cook. Additionally, a line cook has an average salary of $32,894, which is higher than the $31,452 average annual salary of a kitchen cook.
The top three skills for a line cook include culinary, sanitation standards and food handling. The most important skills for a kitchen cook are dishes, food handling, and cleanliness.
| Line Cook | Kitchen Cook | |
| Yearly salary | $32,894 | $31,452 |
| Hourly rate | $15.81 | $15.12 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 168,993 | 250,354 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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 kitchen cook prepares food for customers. Kitchen cooks help devise new menu items and methods of cooking. Their duties are to prepare food before the arrival of guests, manage employees in the kitchen, and season food according to recipe needs. They assist other cooks during the food assembly process, estimate food consumption, and organize preparation. They keep records and accounts of food purchases, prepare any necessary sauce before the meal service begins, and so on. As kitchen cooks, they must excel in organizational skills, verbal communication, culinary arts, and kitchen equipment. They should be equipped with knowledge of international cuisines, butchering, and basic computational skills.
Line cooks and kitchen cooks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Line Cook | Kitchen Cook | |
| Average salary | $32,894 | $31,452 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $40,000 | Between $25,000 And $38,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Gate City Bank | Hilltop Ski Area |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Retail |
There are a few differences between a line cook and a kitchen cook in terms of educational background:
| Line Cook | Kitchen Cook | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | High School Diploma, 44% |
| Most common major | Culinary Arts | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between line cooks' and kitchen cooks' demographics:
| Line Cook | Kitchen Cook | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9% | Male, 65.8% Female, 34.2% |
| 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, 8.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 9.1% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |