Line Cook career guide

• $37,390median annual wage (U.S.)
• $17.98median hourly wage
• 1,409,890people employed in the U.S.
• High School Diploma or the equivalentmost common required education

What a line cook does

Prepare, season, and cook dishes such as soups, meats, vegetables, or desserts in restaurants. May order supplies, keep records and accounts, price items on menu, or plan menu.

Typical tasks

• Ensure food is stored and cooked at correct temperature by regulating temperature of ovens, broilers, grills, and roasters.
• Inspect and clean food preparation areas, such as equipment, work surfaces, and serving areas, to ensure safe and sanitary food-handling practices.
• Portion, arrange, and garnish food, and serve food to waiters or patrons.
• Ensure freshness of food and ingredients by checking for quality, keeping track of old and new items, and rotating stock.
• Season and cook food according to recipes or personal judgment and experience.
• Coordinate and supervise work of kitchen staff.
• Bake, roast, broil, and steam meats, fish, vegetables, and other foods.
• Weigh, measure, and mix ingredients according to recipes or personal judgment, using various kitchen utensils and equipment.

A typical day

The shift starts with prep: chopping, portioning, making sauces and setting up the station so everything is within reach. During service, tickets come in and the cook works fast while keeping every plate consistent. At the end, the station is broken down, cleaned and restocked for the next shift.

Skills employers look for

These are the skills O*NET rates as most important for this occupation.

• Speaking
• Critical Thinking
• Monitoring
• Active Listening
• Time Management
• Coordination
• Judgment and Decision Making
• Social Perceptiveness

Knowledge areas

• Food Production
• English Language
• Customer and Personal Service
• Production and Processing
• Education and Training

Tools and technology

Examples of technology used in this occupation, from O*NET: Facebook, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word.

Education and training

When O*NET asked people in this occupation what education the job requires, the most common answers were:

• High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED): 47% of respondents
• Less than a High School Diploma: 34% of respondents
• Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree: 12% of respondents

Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Line Cook pay

The median annual wage for cooks, restaurant was $37,390 in May 2025 ($17.98 an hour). Half of workers earned between $34,010 and $44,620.

Highest-paying states

1. Washington: $46,800 median
2. District of Columbia: $46,130 median
3. Massachusetts: $45,600 median
4. Hawaii: $45,420 median
5. Vermont: $45,390 median

States with the most line cooks

1. California: 152,250 employed
2. Texas: 126,620 employed
3. Florida: 124,040 employed
4. New York: 71,530 employed
5. Pennsylvania: 54,100 employed

Line Cook pay in every state

How to get hired

Many line cooks start as dishwashers or prep cooks and move up by learning stations. Culinary school helps but is not required for most jobs. A stage, which is a short unpaid or paid trial shift, is common in kitchens, so expect to show your knife work and speed. Some states and counties require a food handler card.

Job titles you may see

Banquet Cook, Grill Cook, Line Cook, Prep Cook (Preparation Cook).

Related career guides

• Fast Food and Counter Worker
• Server
• Bartender
• Hotel Front Desk Clerk
• Retail Sales Associate
• Cashier

Line Cook salary by state · Line Cook job description and interview questions

Sources and methodology

Wage and employment estimates: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, cross-industry estimates for all ownerships. Figures are as published; BLS does not publish some estimates for some states. As defined by BLS, wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses, and exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and other premium pay. BLS OEWS

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Jobder has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET Database

Written and maintained by the Jobder team. Last updated 2026-10-26. Questions or corrections: support@jobder.pro.

Frequently asked questions

What does a line cook do?

Prepare, season, and cook dishes such as soups, meats, vegetables, or desserts in restaurants. May order supplies, keep records and accounts, price items on menu, or plan menu.

How much does a line cook make?

The median annual wage for cooks, restaurant in the United States was $37,390 in May 2025, or $17.98 an hour. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $28,700 and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $47,900.

What education do you need to become a line cook?

In O*NET's survey of people in this occupation, the most common answer for required education was "High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)" (47% of respondents). O*NET classifies the occupation as "Very Little to Some Preparation Needed".

Which state pays line cooks the most?

Washington had the highest median annual wage for this occupation in May 2025, at $46,800, followed by District of Columbia ($46,130) and Massachusetts ($45,600).

How many line cooks are there in the U.S.?

BLS estimated 1,409,890 people were employed as cooks, restaurant in May 2025. California employed the most, with 152,250.