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Line cook, prep cook salary
Average line cook, prep cook salary
$15.86
Understanding Line Cook and Prep Cook Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for line cooks and prep cooks stands at $32,982 annually, equating to approximately $16 per hour. These roles are essential in the culinary industry, serving as the backbone of restaurant operations.
Salary can vary widely based on multiple factors:
- Location: States like California and New York typically offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for culinary talent.
- Experience Level: Entry-level positions may start around $28,000, while experienced cooks can earn significantly more, especially in upscale restaurants.
- Industry Segment: Cooks in high-end dining establishments or specialized cuisine often receive better compensation than those in fast-food or casual dining.
To maximize salary potential, aspiring cooks should consider gaining experience in diverse culinary environments and exploring opportunities in cities with higher pay scales. Some of the highest-paying cities include San Francisco, New York City, and Seattle, where culinary talent is in high demand.
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Where can a Line Cook, Prep Cook earn more?
Line cook, prep cook salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level line cook, prep cook | $24,700 | $11.89 |
| Mid-level line cook, prep cook | $29,900 | $14.36 |
| Senior-level line cook, prep cook | $35,500 | $17.06 |
Average line cook, prep cook salary by state
The highest-paying states for line cooks, prep cook are Washington, Hawaii, and New York. The lowest average line cook, prep cook salary states are Kentucky, Tennessee, and Oklahoma.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for line cooks, prep cook
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado | $36,829 | $17.71 |
| 2 | Wyoming | $35,415 | $17.03 |
| 3 | Washington | $42,190 | $20.28 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $35,523 | $17.08 |
| 5 | Alaska | $37,408 | $17.98 |
| 6 | Nevada | $32,809 | $15.77 |
| 7 | Oregon | $37,074 | $17.82 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $37,296 | $17.93 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $36,291 | $17.45 |
| 10 | Arizona | $32,766 | $15.75 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $39,377 | $18.93 |
| 12 | New York | $37,902 | $18.22 |
| 13 | Vermont | $35,920 | $17.27 |
| 14 | Illinois | $33,575 | $16.14 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $35,754 | $17.19 |
| 16 | Idaho | $33,229 | $15.98 |
| 17 | North Dakota | $33,790 | $16.25 |
| 18 | Maine | $34,309 | $16.49 |
| 19 | Indiana | $31,011 | $14.91 |
| 20 | California | $36,620 | $17.61 |
| 21 | Nebraska | $33,037 | $15.88 |
| 22 | New Jersey | $35,316 | $16.98 |
| 23 | Texas | $30,548 | $14.69 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $32,078 | $15.42 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $33,558 | $16.13 |
| 26 | Michigan | $30,245 | $14.54 |
| 27 | Ohio | $29,907 | $14.38 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $31,533 | $15.16 |
| 29 | Florida | $30,340 | $14.59 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $31,394 | $15.09 |
| 31 | Montana | $31,709 | $15.24 |
| 32 | Delaware | $33,011 | $15.87 |
| 33 | District of Columbia | $36,556 | $17.57 |
| 34 | Utah | $30,673 | $14.75 |
| 35 | Kansas | $30,113 | $14.48 |
| 36 | Missouri | $30,423 | $14.63 |
| 37 | Maryland | $32,614 | $15.68 |
| 38 | Iowa | $29,871 | $14.36 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $29,390 | $14.13 |
| 40 | Alabama | $28,680 | $13.79 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $27,980 | $13.45 |
| 42 | North Carolina | $28,822 | $13.86 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $28,939 | $13.91 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $27,338 | $13.14 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $29,946 | $14.40 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $28,121 | $13.52 |
| 47 | Georgia | $28,015 | $13.47 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $27,171 | $13.06 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $23,502 | $11.30 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $25,267 | $12.15 |
| 51 | Virginia | $27,063 | $13.01 |
Highest paying cities for line cooks, prep cook
The highest-paying cities for line cooks, prep cook are Seattle, WA, New York, NY, and San Francisco, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $42,326 | $20.35 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $37,781 | $18.16 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $37,423 | $17.99 |
| 4 | Grand Junction, CO | $37,415 | $17.99 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $37,358 | $17.96 |
| 6 | Portland, OR | $37,087 | $17.83 |
| 7 | Washington, DC | $36,588 | $17.59 |
| 8 | Norwich, CT | $35,848 | $17.23 |
| 9 | Chicago, IL | $33,645 | $16.18 |
| 10 | Phoenix, AZ | $32,825 | $15.78 |
| 11 | Las Vegas, NV | $32,611 | $15.68 |
| 12 | Bethesda, MD | $32,427 | $15.59 |
| 13 | Philadelphia, PA | $31,514 | $15.15 |
| 14 | Indianapolis, IN | $30,812 | $14.81 |
| 15 | Jacksonville, FL | $30,799 | $14.81 |
| 16 | San Antonio, TX | $30,738 | $14.78 |
| 17 | Salt Lake City, UT | $30,638 | $14.73 |
| 18 | Saint Louis, MO | $30,310 | $14.57 |
| 19 | Columbus, OH | $29,527 | $14.20 |
| 20 | Greenville, SC | $29,345 | $14.11 |
Line Cooks, Prep Cook are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Line cook, prep cook salary details
A line cook, prep cook's salary ranges from $26,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $40,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a line cook, prep 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 | $32,982 | $2,749 | $16 |
| 25th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
| 10th Percentile | $26,000 | $2,167 | $13 |
Highest paying line cook, prep cook jobs
The highest paying types of line cooks, prep cook are head cook, lead cook, and banquet cook.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook | $31,803 | $2,650 | $15.29 | 184,818 |
| Short Order Cook | $30,734 | $2,561 | $14.78 | 176,187 |
| Fry Cook | $30,622 | $2,552 | $14.72 | 246,323 |
| Cook/Server | $29,716 | $2,476 | $14.29 | 257,582 |
| Grill Cook | $31,895 | $2,658 | $15.33 | 184,603 |
| Head Cook | $44,412 | $3,701 | $21.35 | 156,227 |
Top companies hiring line cooks, prep cook now:
Which companies pay line cooks, prep cook the most?
Line cook, prep cook salaries at WESTWOOD COUNTRY CLUB OF AUSTIN and Erickson Senior Living are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average line cook, prep cook salary at companies like Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club and Georgia Credit Union Affiliates are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WESTWOOD COUNTRY CLUB OF AUSTIN | $40,081 | $19.27 |
| 2 | Erickson Senior Living | $37,944 | $18.24 |
| 3 | Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club | $37,720 | $18.13 |
| 4 | Georgia Credit Union Affiliates | $37,716 | $18.13 |
| 5 | Doran Companies | $37,674 | $18.11 |
| 6 | Price Chopper Supermarkets-Market 32 | $37,327 | $17.95 |
| 7 | Diners Club International | $37,298 | $17.93 |
| 8 | Garden & Gun | $37,231 | $17.90 |
| 9 | Earth Fare | $37,179 | $17.87 |
| 10 | Brown-Forman | $37,055 | $17.81 |
| 11 | Hyatt Hotels | $36,977 | $17.78 |
| 12 | Wyndham Hotels & Resorts | $36,827 | $17.71 |
| 13 | The Next Level | $36,805 | $17.69 |
| 14 | HEI Hotels & Resorts | $36,792 | $17.69 |
| 15 | Legends Hospitality | $36,630 | $17.61 |
| 16 | The Cheesecake Factory | $36,535 | $17.56 |
| 17 | Quarry Hill Retirement Community, Camden Maine | $36,476 | $17.54 |
| 18 | Carrabba's | $36,467 | $17.53 |
| 19 | Vitality | $36,458 | $17.53 |
| 20 | Reef | $36,393 | $17.50 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Line cook, prep cook salary trends
The average line cook, prep cook salary has risen by $7,696 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average line cook, prep cook earned $25,286 annually, but today, they earn $32,982 a year. That works out to a 19% change in pay for line cooks, prep cook over the last decade.
Compare line cook, prep cook salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average line cook, prep cook salary over time
Compare line cook, prep cook salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Line cook, prep cook salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $33,000 | $15.86 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $31,800 | $15.30 | +4.5% |
| 2023 | $30,400 | $14.61 | +5.1% |
| 2022 | $28,800 | $13.86 | +4.1% |
| 2021 | $27,600 | $13.29 | +4.3% |
Recently added line cook, prep cook salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shepherd's Hollow + Pine Trace Golf | Line Cook/Prep Cook | Village of Clarkston, MI | 06/29/2025 | $31,305 |
| Food for Thought | Line Cook/Prep Cook | Chicago, IL | 06/27/2025 | $39,653 |
| Oak View Group | Kitchen Prep Cook/Line Cook| | PHX Arena | Phoenix, AZ | 06/26/2025 | $37,566 |
| Hilton | Line Cook III/Prep Cook-Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace | Orlando, FL | 06/25/2025 | $41,740 |
| Hilton | Line Cook III/Prep Cook-Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace | Buena Vista, CA | 06/25/2025 | $41,740 |
| Compass Group USA Inc. | Prep Cook and Game Day Line Cook | Corvallis, OR | 06/25/2025 | $35,479 |
| Drury Hotels | Line/Prep Cook-Kitchen+Bar | Florence, KY | 06/24/2025 | $35,479 |
| Morrissey Hospitality | Prep/Pantry/Line Cook-Tattersall River Falls | River Falls, WI | 06/22/2025 | $39,653 |
| Joey Restaurants | Line Cook/Prep Cook | Tukwila, WA | 06/22/2025 | $44,036 |
| Presidian | Prep/Line Cook-Wild Finch @ The Springs Resort D | Durango, CO | 06/22/2025 | $33,392 |
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