Line cook vs line cook/dishwasher

The differences between line cooks and line cook/dishwashers 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 line cook/dishwasher. Additionally, a line cook/dishwasher has an average salary of $34,435, 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 line cook/dishwasher are food handling, cleanliness, and dishwashers.

Line cook vs line cook/dishwasher overview

	Line Cook	Line Cook/Dishwasher
Yearly salary	$32,894	$34,435
Hourly rate	$15.81	$16.56
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	168,993	133,370
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 54%
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 line cook/dishwasher do?

A line cook/dishwasher is primarily in charge of prepping food and maintaining their work station's cleanliness while adhering to health standards and protocols. Among their duties include washing and chopping vegetables, cutting meat according to requirements, preparing sauces, and cooking according to an executive chef's directives. They also participate in cleaning and sterilizing kitchen tools and equipment, monitoring the inventory of ingredients, unloading stock deliveries, and taking care of leftovers. Additionally, as a line cook/dishwasher, it is essential to maintain an open communication line with fellow kitchen staff for an efficient workflow.

Line cook vs line cook/dishwasher salary

Line cooks and line cook/dishwashers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Line Cook	Line Cook/Dishwasher
Average salary	$32,894	$34,435
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $40,000	Between $26,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	-
Highest paying state	Hawaii	-
Best paying company	Gate City Bank	-
Best paying industry	Hospitality	-

Differences between line cook and line cook/dishwasher education

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

	Line Cook	Line Cook/Dishwasher
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 54%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Line cook vs line cook/dishwasher demographics

Here are the differences between line cooks' and line cook/dishwashers' demographics:

	Line Cook	Line Cook/Dishwasher
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 73.1% Female, 26.9%	Male, 84.2% Female, 15.8%
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, 8.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 8.1% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between line cook and line cook/dishwasher 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.

Line cook/dishwasher example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Maintain superb conditions of all grills, fryers, prep areas, and work spaces in the kitchen.
Have to follow certain steps for battering prior to cooking, and use a timer for the fryers for fry.
Leverage teamwork to fully utilize kitchen staff to generate remarkable food and service to ensure customer satisfaction.
Operate dishwasher to fully sanitize incoming dishes and silverware.
Prepare food items with special attention to individual orders concerning allergies and temperatures.

Line cook vs line cook/dishwasher skills

Common line cook skills

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

Common line cook/dishwasher skills

Food Handling, 35%
Cleanliness, 32%
Dishwashers, 25%
Kitchen Equipment, 3%
Culinary, 2%
Line Cooks, 1%

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Line Cook vs Line Cook/Dishwasher

Updated January 8, 2025

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