Short order cook vs line cook/dishwasher

The differences between short order 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 short order cook and a line cook/dishwasher. Additionally, a line cook/dishwasher has an average salary of $34,435, which is higher than the $30,734 average annual salary of a short order cook.

The top three skills for a short order cook include food handling, customer service and food preparation equipment. The most important skills for a line cook/dishwasher are food handling, cleanliness, and dishwashers.

Short order cook vs line cook/dishwasher overview

	Short Order Cook	Line Cook/Dishwasher
Yearly salary	$30,734	$34,435
Hourly rate	$14.78	$16.56
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	176,187	133,370
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 43%	High School Diploma, 54%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

What does a short order cook do?

A short-order cook takes responsibility for preparing foods in cafes and restaurants. Usually, they fry eggs, cook fries, and prepare sandwiches. Short order cooks work alongside line chefs in the foodservice market. Their manner of preparing food is quick, easy, and simple. They plan and handle work orders ensuring that all orders are complete and served on time. Strong communication, customer service, a good sense of taste, and the ability to work efficiently are necessary requirements for the job.

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.

Short order cook vs line cook/dishwasher salary

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

	Short Order Cook	Line Cook/Dishwasher
Average salary	$30,734	$34,435
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $38,000	Between $26,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	Anaheim, CA	-
Highest paying state	Washington	-
Best paying company	Columbia University in the City of New York	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between short order cook and line cook/dishwasher education

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

	Short Order Cook	Line Cook/Dishwasher
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 43%	High School Diploma, 54%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Short order cook vs line cook/dishwasher demographics

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

	Short Order Cook	Line Cook/Dishwasher
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9%	Male, 84.2% Female, 15.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 8.1% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	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 short order cook and line cook/dishwasher duties and responsibilities

Short order cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Ensure that ovens and stoves remain at appropriate temperatures.
Clean kitchen including wiping down grills, slicers and deep-frying equipment.
Develop teamwork skills with cooks, dishwashers and wait staff, through efficient clean up and preparation of food.
Prepare guest food orders as they are either transmit via the POS system or orally convey at the counter.
Cook foods on the grill station, oven, barbecue grill, deep fryers, and other industrial cooking apparatus.

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.

Short order cook vs line cook/dishwasher skills

Common short order cook skills

Food Handling, 20%
Customer Service, 14%
Food Preparation Equipment, 11%
Kitchen Equipment, 9%
Food Service, 7%
Safety Standards, 7%

Common line cook/dishwasher skills

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

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Short Order Cook vs Line Cook/Dishwasher

Updated January 8, 2025

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