How much does a line cook make?

The average line cook salary in the United States is $32,894. Line cook salaries typically range between $26,000 and $40,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for line cooks is $15.81 per hour. Line cook salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Line cooks earn the highest average salary in Hawaii.

Line cook salary

Q: 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.

Q: 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.

Q: 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.

Q: 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.

Q: 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.

Q: 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.

Q: 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.

Average line cook salary

$15.81

$32,894 yearly

Entry-level line cook salary

$26,000 yearly salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Average Line Cook Salary

The average salary for a line cook in the United States is approximately $32,894 per year or $16 per hour. Salaries can fluctuate based on various factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and the type of establishment where one is employed.

Factors Influencing Salary

Entry-level line cooks might earn around $28,000 annually, while those with more experience can see salaries rise to $40,000 or more. High-end restaurants and urban locations often offer higher pay to attract skilled professionals. For example, states like California and New York typically provide some of the highest salaries for this role.

Where Can Line Cooks Earn More?

Line cooks can enhance their earning potential by specializing in certain cuisines or obtaining certifications. Positions in fine dining establishments or those that require advanced culinary skills usually come with increased compensation. Additionally, opportunities for overtime and tips can further elevate a line cook's overall earnings.

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Line cook salary by:

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Where can a Line Cook earn more?

Compare salary by location

59k

39k

19k

-1k

Columbus, OH$41,098

Atlanta, GA$28,529

Compare salary by company

68k

48k

28k

Gate City Bank$40,759

Anthony$37,740

Line cook salaries by experience level

Experience level	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
Entry-level line cook	$24,700	$11.86
Mid-level line cook	$29,800	$14.32
Senior-level line cook	$35,400	$17.02

Line cook salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Indeed, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter and Comparably, the average salary for a line cook typically falls between $32,894 and $42,706.

zippia

$32,894yearly

glassdoor[1]

$39,329yearly

indeed[2]

$36,272yearly

comparably[3]

$42,706yearly

Salary.com[4]

$35,444yearly

ZipRecruiter[5]

$35,708yearly

Average line cook salary by state

The highest-paying states for line cooks are Hawaii, Washington, and California. The lowest average line cook salary states are Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Louisiana.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for line cooks

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Nevada	$34,347	$16.51
2	Hawaii	$45,602	$21.92
3	Colorado	$35,466	$17.05
4	Washington	$40,911	$19.67
5	Alaska	$35,759	$17.19
6	Arizona	$32,634	$15.69
7	Oregon	$36,322	$17.46
8	Wyoming	$32,912	$15.82
9	Utah	$32,604	$15.68
10	Connecticut	$35,847	$17.23
11	New York	$36,745	$17.67
12	California	$38,746	$18.63
13	Vermont	$35,723	$17.17
14	Massachusetts	$36,107	$17.36
15	Minnesota	$33,211	$15.97
16	Pennsylvania	$31,187	$14.99
17	New Hampshire	$34,460	$16.57
18	Maine	$33,323	$16.02
19	New Jersey	$34,483	$16.58
20	Michigan	$30,285	$14.56
21	Illinois	$31,639	$15.21
22	Rhode Island	$32,865	$15.80
23	North Dakota	$31,179	$14.99
24	Florida	$29,935	$14.39
25	Tennessee	$28,533	$13.72
26	Idaho	$30,635	$14.73
27	Texas	$29,127	$14.00
28	District of Columbia	$35,990	$17.30
29	Nebraska	$30,403	$14.62
30	Wisconsin	$30,149	$14.49
31	Ohio	$28,778	$13.84
32	New Mexico	$29,384	$14.13
33	Missouri	$28,495	$13.70
34	Delaware	$31,717	$15.25
35	Kansas	$28,087	$13.50
36	Iowa	$28,488	$13.70
37	Montana	$29,200	$14.04
38	Maryland	$30,824	$14.82
39	Georgia	$28,388	$13.65
40	Arkansas	$26,835	$12.90
41	Indiana	$27,390	$13.17
42	North Carolina	$27,933	$13.43
43	Oklahoma	$26,107	$12.55
44	South Dakota	$28,671	$13.78
45	South Carolina	$27,463	$13.20
46	Kentucky	$26,239	$12.61
47	Virginia	$28,933	$13.91
48	Louisiana	$25,022	$12.03
49	Mississippi	$22,619	$10.87
50	West Virginia	$24,545	$11.80
51	Alabama	$24,626	$11.84

Top line cook jobs near you

Highest paying cities for line cooks

The highest-paying cities for line cooks are Seattle, WA, San Francisco, CA, and New York, NY.

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
16	Jacksonville, FL	$30,083	$14.46
17	Madison, WI	$29,875	$14.36
18	San Antonio, TX	$29,613	$14.24
19	Albuquerque, NM	$29,454	$14.16
20	Atlanta, GA	$28,529	$13.72

Line Cooks are the most in-demand in these five cities:

Line cook salary details

A line cook's salary ranges from $26,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $40,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average line cook salary graph, trends, and summary

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 line cook jobs

The highest paying types of line cooks are head cook, banquet cook, and line cook/dishwasher.

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

Top companies hiring line cooks now:

Which companies pay line cooks the most?

Line cook salaries at Gate City Bank and Kemps are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average line cook salary at companies like Woodfield Country Club and Talamore Country Club are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Gate City Bank	$40,759	$19.60
2	Kemps	$40,183	$19.32
3	Woodfield Country Club	$40,120	$19.29
4	Talamore Country Club	$39,784	$19.13
5	NBCUniversal	$39,542	$19.01
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
10	Protagonist Therapeutics	$38,509	$18.51
11	Tableau	$38,381	$18.45
12	Counter Culture Coffee	$38,266	$18.40
13	Constellation Brands	$38,142	$18.34
14	Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort	$38,029	$18.28
15	Chumash Casino Resort	$38,023	$18.28
16	Willamette Valley Vineyards	$37,891	$18.22
17	DoorDash	$37,856	$18.20
18	ROARING GAP CLUB	$37,850	$18.20
19	Erickson Senior Living	$37,832	$18.19
20	Anthony	$37,740	$18.14

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$34,000$33,600$33,200$32,800$32,400$32,000

MaleFemale

Line cook salary trends

The average line cook salary has risen by $7,675 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average line cook earned $25,219 annually, but today, they earn $32,894 a year. That works out to a 19% change in pay for line cooks over the last decade.

Compare line cook salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average line cook salary over time

Compare line cook salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Line cook salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$32,900	$15.81	+3.5%
2024	$31,700	$15.26	+4.5%
2023	$30,300	$14.57	+5.1%
2022	$28,800	$13.83	+4.1%
2021	$27,600	$13.26	+4.3%

Recently added line cook salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Exact Sciences	Line Cook	Madison, WI	06/30/2025	$35,000
Sonesta Hotels	Line Cook	White Plains, NY	06/30/2025	$50,902
Levity Live	Line Cook	San Jose, CA	06/30/2025	$39,653
Upward Projects	Line Cook	Ione, CA	06/30/2025	$45,914
Upward Projects	Line Cook	Boone, NC	06/30/2025	$36,523
Upward Projects	Line Cook	Pine, AZ	06/30/2025	$39,653
Upward Projects	Line Cook	Nome, TX	06/30/2025	$33,392
West Valley City	Food & Beverage Line Cook-Stonebridge Golf Course	West Valley City, UT	06/30/2025	$34,957
Blueplatechicago	Line Cook-PM	Chicago, IL	06/30/2025	$39,653
Caesars Entertainment	Line Cook-Employee Dining Room	Reno, NV	06/29/2025	$35,479

Line cook salary FAQs

What state pays Line Cooks the most?

How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a line cook?

What is a good starting salary for a Line Cook?

Do line cooks make good money?

How much do line cooks make per year?

How much do line cooks work?

What is a good wage for a cook?

Have more questions? See all answers to common food preparation and restaurant questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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