Third cook vs line cook/dishwasher

The differences between third 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 third cook and a line cook/dishwasher. Additionally, a line cook/dishwasher has an average salary of $34,435, which is higher than the $33,974 average annual salary of a third cook.

The top three skills for a third cook include food preparation, kitchen equipment and culinary. The most important skills for a line cook/dishwasher are food handling, cleanliness, and dishwashers.

Third cook vs line cook/dishwasher overview

	Third Cook	Line Cook/Dishwasher
Yearly salary	$33,974	$34,435
Hourly rate	$16.33	$16.56
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	137,854	133,370
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 37%	High School Diploma, 54%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Third cook vs line cook/dishwasher salary

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

	Third Cook	Line Cook/Dishwasher
Average salary	$33,974	$34,435
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $41,000	Between $26,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between third cook and line cook/dishwasher education

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

	Third Cook	Line Cook/Dishwasher
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 37%	High School Diploma, 54%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Culinary Arts
Most common college	-	-

Third cook vs line cook/dishwasher demographics

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

	Third Cook	Line Cook/Dishwasher
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 63.0% Female, 37.0%	Male, 84.2% Female, 15.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 8.4% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%	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 third cook and line cook/dishwasher duties and responsibilities

Third cook example responsibilities.

Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Maintain and follow proper hygiene and sanitation standards.

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.

Third cook vs line cook/dishwasher skills

Common third cook skills

Food Preparation, 31%
Kitchen Equipment, 29%
Culinary, 25%
HACCP, 15%
Kitchen Line, 0%

Common line cook/dishwasher skills

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

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Third Cook vs Line Cook/Dishwasher

Updated January 8, 2025

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