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Job outlook for line cooks in the United States
Line cook job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected line cook job growth rate is 16% from 2018-2028.
About 419,300 new jobs for line cooks are projected over the next decade.
Line cook salaries have increased 19% for line cooks in the last 5 years.
There are over 1,020,993 line cooks currently employed in the United States.
There are 168,993 active line cook job openings in the US.
The average line cook salary is $32,894.
Are line cook jobs in demand?
Yes, line cook jobs are in demand. Line cook demand is projected to grow 16% from 2018 to 2028.
Line cook job and salary trends over time
Compare the number of line cook jobs and the average line cook salary over time.
Line cook jobs over time
Line cook job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,020,993 | 0.30% |
| 2020 | 948,524 | 0.28% |
| 2019 | 1,198,329 | 0.36% |
| 2018 | 1,146,260 | 0.35% |
| 2017 | 1,091,502 | 0.33% |
Average line cook salary over time
Line cook salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $32,895 | $15.81 | +3.6% |
| 2025 | $31,741 | $15.26 | +4.7% |
| 2024 | $30,302 | $14.57 | +5.4% |
| 2023 | $28,760 | $13.83 | +4.3% |
| 2022 | $27,572 | $13.26 | +4.5% |
Line cook jobs by state
The map below shows you the number of line cook job openings in each state. The darker areas on the map show where line cooks earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average salary: Job openings:
Most common states for line cooks
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 1,827 | 27% |
| 2 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 780 | 27% |
| 3 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,666 | 25% |
| 4 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,557 | 25% |
| 5 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 980 | 25% |
| 6 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,343 | 24% |
| 7 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 1,068 | 24% |
| 8 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 728 | 24% |
| 9 | Florida | 20,984,400 | 4,923 | 23% |
| 10 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,273 | 23% |
| 11 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 2,221 | 22% |
| 12 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 693 | 22% |
| 13 | Texas | 28,304,596 | 5,914 | 21% |
| 14 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 1,499 | 21% |
| 15 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 1,035 | 21% |
| 16 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 636 | 21% |
| 17 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 2,331 | 20% |
| 18 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 621 | 20% |
| 19 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 385 | 20% |
| 20 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 210 | 20% |
Most common cities for line cooks
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fort Lauderdale | 160 | 90% | $29,829 |
| 2 | Orlando | 230 | 83% | $29,853 |
| 3 | Miami | 266 | 59% | $29,875 |
| 4 | Scottsdale | 112 | 45% | $32,655 |
| 5 | Tampa | 138 | 37% | $29,966 |
| 6 | Austin | 323 | 34% | $29,212 |
| 7 | Atlanta | 155 | 33% | $28,529 |
| 8 | New Orleans | 110 | 28% | $24,881 |
| 9 | Dallas | 327 | 25% | $28,611 |
| 10 | Fort Worth | 176 | 21% | $28,740 |
| 11 | Denver | 113 | 16% | $35,422 |
| 12 | Washington | 106 | 16% | $36,042 |
| 13 | Phoenix | 236 | 15% | $32,716 |
| 14 | Charlotte | 114 | 14% | $27,677 |
| 15 | Chicago | 207 | 8% | $31,696 |
| 16 | Philadelphia | 123 | 8% | $31,291 |
| 17 | New York | 428 | 5% | $36,765 |
| 18 | Los Angeles | 198 | 5% | $38,622 |
| 19 | Houston | 112 | 5% | $28,605 |