Line Cook salary

The median pay for a line cook nationally is $17.81 an hour — about $37,040 a year full time. That figure comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for U.S. (2025). Half of the roles pay more than this and half pay less, so treat it as the middle of the market rather than a target.

Most line cooks nationally earn between $11.65 an hour and $23.77 an hour — that is the 10th to the 90th percentile. The spread usually reflects experience, shift, certifications and employer size more than anything else.

Pay at the bottom of the range — roughly what someone starting out can expect — is around $11.65 an hour. A quarter of line cooks earn below $15.07 an hour, so the first year or two typically sits in that band. This is a role employers routinely fill with people who have no prior experience.

The top 10% of line cooks nationally earn about $23.77 an hour or more, roughly 1.3× the median. Getting there usually means experience plus something specific — certifications, supervisory duties, specialised skills or premium shifts.

Line cooks prepare food to order on a station during service. It is fast, hot and hands-on, and kitchens hire continuously. Day to day, that means prepare dishes to spec during service, run a station under time pressure, prep ingredients before service and maintain food safety and temperature standards.

The usual route is: (1) start as prep cook or dishwasher, (2) learn stations one at a time, (3) move to lead line or sous chef, (4) progress to kitchen management or your own venture. Employers typically look for no formal education required, food handler card in most jurisdictions and ability to stand for long shifts in heat.

Usually not. Most employers hire line cooks without a specific licence, and train on the job.

There are currently 4 open line cooks listed on LocalWork. Restaurants recruit continuously and turnover is high, so openings are plentiful. Hotel and institutional kitchens tend to offer steadier hours than restaurants.

No. Most line cooks learn on the job, starting in prep or dish and working up. Culinary school can speed progression toward chef roles, but for line work employers care far more about whether you can hold a station during a busy service.