Line Cook Salary
Average Line Cook Salary
$15.81hourly
How much does a Line Cook make?
Line cooks make $32,894 per year on average, or $15.81 per hour, in the United States. Line cooks on the lower end of that spectrum, the bottom 10% to be exact, make roughly $26,000 a year, while the top 10% makes $40,000.
Location impacts how much a line cook can expect to make. Line cooks make the most in Hawaii, Washington, California, New York, and Oregon.
Highest Paying States For Line Cooks
- State View
- County View
Line Cook average salary by State
| Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $34,347 | $16.51 | 497 |
| 2 | Hawaii | $45,602 | $21.92 | 130 |
| 3 | Colorado | $35,466 | $17.05 | 1,343 |
| 4 | Washington | $40,911 | $19.67 | 866 |
| 5 | Alaska | $35,759 | $17.19 | 127 |
| 6 | Arizona | $32,634 | $15.69 | 1,499 |
| 7 | Oregon | $36,322 | $17.46 | 555 |
| 8 | Wyoming | $32,912 | $15.82 | 105 |
| 9 | Utah | $32,604 | $15.68 | 621 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $35,847 | $17.23 | 515 |
| 11 | New York | $36,745 | $17.67 | 1,927 |
| 12 | California | $38,746 | $18.63 | 4,365 |
| 13 | Vermont | $35,723 | $17.17 | 68 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $36,107 | $17.36 | 1,087 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $33,211 | $15.97 | 1,273 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $31,187 | $14.99 | 2,267 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $34,460 | $16.57 | 182 |
| 18 | Maine | $33,323 | $16.02 | 190 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $34,483 | $16.58 | 1,202 |
| 20 | Michigan | $30,285 | $14.56 | 1,594 |
| 21 | Illinois | $31,639 | $15.21 | 2,352 |
| 22 | Rhode Island | $32,865 | $15.80 | 127 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $31,179 | $14.99 | 144 |
| 24 | Florida | $29,935 | $14.39 | 4,923 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $28,533 | $13.72 | 1,827 |
| 26 | Idaho | $30,635 | $14.73 | 297 |
| 27 | Texas | $29,127 | $14.00 | 5,914 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $35,990 | $17.30 | 97 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $30,403 | $14.62 | 385 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $30,149 | $14.49 | 892 |
| 31 | Ohio | $28,778 | $13.84 | 2,331 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $29,384 | $14.13 | 377 |
| 33 | Missouri | $28,495 | $13.70 | 1,557 |
| 34 | Delaware | $31,717 | $15.25 | 167 |
| 35 | Kansas | $28,087 | $13.50 | 780 |
| 36 | Iowa | $28,488 | $13.70 | 693 |
| 37 | Montana | $29,200 | $14.04 | 210 |
| 38 | Maryland | $30,824 | $14.82 | 992 |
| 39 | Georgia | $28,388 | $13.65 | 2,046 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $26,835 | $12.90 | 728 |
| 41 | Indiana | $27,390 | $13.17 | 1,666 |
| 42 | North Carolina | $27,933 | $13.43 | 2,221 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $26,107 | $12.55 | 980 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $28,671 | $13.78 | 116 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $27,463 | $13.20 | 1,035 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $26,239 | $12.61 | 1,068 |
| 47 | Virginia | $28,933 | $13.91 | 1,468 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $25,022 | $12.03 | 957 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $22,619 | $10.87 | 636 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $24,545 | $11.80 | 279 |
| 51 | Alabama | $24,626 | $11.84 | 797 |
Highest Paying Cities For Line Cooks
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $41,098 | $19.76 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $39,493 | $18.99 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $36,765 | $17.68 |
| 4 | Portland, OR | $36,228 | $17.42 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $36,155 | $17.38 |
| 6 | Washington, DC | $36,042 | $17.33 |
| 7 | Denver, CO | $35,422 | $17.03 |
| 8 | Las Vegas, NV | $34,274 | $16.48 |
| 9 | Portland, ME | $33,418 | $16.07 |
| 10 | Minneapolis, MN | $33,243 | $15.98 |
| 11 | Washington, UT | $32,961 | $15.85 |
| 12 | Phoenix, AZ | $32,716 | $15.73 |
| 13 | Chicago, IL | $31,696 | $15.24 |
| 14 | Philadelphia, PA | $31,291 | $15.04 |
| 15 | Washington, MI | $30,488 | $14.66 |
Here Are The Five Most In Demand Cities Right Now:
Line Cook Salary by Years of Experience
Line Cook Salary By Experience Level
| Experience Level | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Level | $24,700 | $11.86 |
| Mid Level | $29,800 | $14.32 |
| Senior Level | $35,400 | $17.02 |
Line Cooks Salary Details
What is a Line Cook's Salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
| 75th Percentile | $36,000 | $3,000 | $17 |
| Average | $32,894 | $2,741 | $16 |
| 25th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
| 10th Percentile | $26,000 | $2,167 | $13 |
Highest Paying Types of Line Cooks
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prep Cook/Dishwasher | $31,687 | $2,641 | $15.23 | 126,351 |
| Short Order Cook | $30,734 | $2,561 | $14.78 | 176,187 |
| Mexican Food Cook | $31,039 | $2,587 | $14.92 | 275,588 |
| Fry Cook | $30,622 | $2,552 | $14.72 | 246,323 |
| Cook | $31,803 | $2,650 | $15.29 | 184,818 |
| Line Cook, Prep Cook | $32,982 | $2,748 | $15.86 | 164,756 |
Here are the five companies hiring the most now:
Which Companies Pay Line Cooks The Most?
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gate City Bank | $40,759 | $19.60 | 1 |
| 2 | Kemps | $40,183 | $19.32 | 1 |
| 3 | Woodfield Country Club | $40,120 | $19.29 | 4 |
| 4 | Talamore Country Club | $39,784 | $19.13 | |
| 5 | NBCUniversal | $39,542 | $19.01 | 4 |
| 6 | Cisco | $39,430 | $18.96 | |
| 7 | WESTWOOD COUNTRY CLUB OF AUSTIN | $39,373 | $18.93 | |
| 8 | Grand Savings Bank | $39,166 | $18.83 | |
| 9 | Lexington Country Club | $38,581 | $18.55 | 1 |
| 10 | Protagonist Therapeutics | $38,509 | $18.51 | 1 |
| 11 | Tableau | $38,381 | $18.45 | |
| 12 | Counter Culture Coffee | $38,266 | $18.40 | |
| 13 | Constellation Brands | $38,142 | $18.34 | 4 |
| 14 | Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort | $38,029 | $18.28 | 2 |
| 15 | Chumash Casino Resort | $38,023 | $18.28 | 2 |
| 16 | Willamette Valley Vineyards | $37,891 | $18.22 | 1 |
| 17 | DoorDash | $37,856 | $18.20 | 33 |
| 18 | ROARING GAP CLUB | $37,850 | $18.20 | |
| 19 | Erickson Senior Living | $37,832 | $18.19 | 55 |
| 20 | Anthony | $37,740 | $18.14 | 7 |
Line Cook Pay Trends
Average Line Cook Salary Over Time
Compare salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Line Cook Salary By Year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $32,900 | $15.81 | +3.5% |
| 2022 | $31,700 | $15.26 | +4.5% |
| 2021 | $30,300 | $14.57 | +5.1% |
| 2020 | $28,800 | $13.83 | +4.1% |
| 2019 | $27,600 | $13.26 | +4.3% |
Recently Added Line Cook Salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snooze, An A.M. Eatery | Line Cook-NOW | Austin, TX | 11/30/2022 | $33,392 |
| Hilton Garden Inn Irvine | Line Cooks Am/Breakfast or Benefits! | Irvine, CA | 11/29/2022 | $39,653 |
| The Cheesecake Factory | Line Cook | Kentwood, MI | 11/29/2022 | $33,392 |
| Wingstop | Line Cook-Immediately | Palatine, IL | 11/29/2022 | $33,392 |
| Cotton Patch Cafe | Restaurant Line Cook | McKinney, TX | 11/29/2022 | $29,218 |
| Great Wolf Lodge | Line Cook 2 | Olympia, WA | 11/29/2022 | $41,740 |
| Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants | Line Cook-Citizen Rail | Denver, CO | 11/29/2022 | $45,914 |
| Pyramid Hotel Group | Line Cook | Charleston, SC | 11/29/2022 | $35,479 |
| Rosetta Hall | Line Cook | Boulder, CO | 11/29/2022 | $45,914 |
| Oswego Grill | Line Cook-Immediately | Wilsonville, OR | 11/29/2022 | $37,566 |
Line Cook Salaries FAQs
What State Pays Line Cooks The Most?
Hawaii pays Line Cooks the most in the United States, with an average salary of $45,602 per year, or $21.92 per hour.
How Do I Know If I'm Being Paid Fairly As A Line Cook?
You know if you are being paid fairly as a Line Cook if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Washington you should be paid close to $40,911 per year.
What Type Of Line Cook Gets Paid The Most?
Head Cook gets paid the most. Head Cook made a median salary of $44,412. The best-paid 10 percent make $52,000, while the lowest-paid 10 percent make $37,000.
What Is A Good Starting Salary For A Line Cook?
A good starting salary for a line cook is $25,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a line cook in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for line cooks is $31,250, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a line cook can vary by state.
Do Line Cooks Make Good Money?
No, most line cooks do not make good money. The average pay for a line cook is around $12 an hour. If you have earned a degree or have a background in culinary school, you can earn up to $18 an hour as a line cook.
How Much Do Line Cooks Make Per Year?
Line cooks make $24,000 to $34,000 a year, or between $11 and $16 per hour. Pay varies on location, experience, and restaurant demographics. You can earn more with a culinary arts degree or simply through impressing your team. Line cook work is both a fast-paced practical skill, but also an art.
How Much Do Line Cooks Work?
Line cooks work consistently. Line cook positions may be part-time or full-time. The hours are highly varied compared to the 9 AM - 5 PM workday. Work is scheduled around meals such as breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Some restaurants may host events or stay open 24 hours, and you can find a position with plenty of hours if you look.
What Is A Good Wage For A Cook?
A good wage for a line cook is anything from $15 an hour upwards, the more common salary for a line cook is $13 an hour. If you are serving expensive dishes in a prime area at a thriving restaurant, your pay should reflect this by being higher.
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