How much does a Line Cook make?

Updated Dec 5, 2023

Experience

Industry

Total Pay Range
$36K - $48K/yr
Base Pay
$34K - $44K/yr
Additional Pay
$2K - $4K/yr

$42K

/yr
$36K$48K
Most Likely Range

The estimated total pay for a Line Cook is $41,722 per year in the United States area, with an average salary of $38,922 per year. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated additional pay is $2,799 per year. Additional pay could include cash bonus, commission, tips, and profit sharing. The "Most Likely Range" represents values that exist within the 25th and 75th percentile of all pay data available for this role.

How accurate is this most likely Total Pay range (base + additional) of $36K-$48K/yr?

Total Pay Trajectory

For Line Cook

$41,722 /yr
Line Cook
$58,053 /yr
Senior Line Cook
$48,822 /yr
Lead Line Cook
See Full Career Path

Download as data table

What is the total pay trajectory for Line Cook?

Job TitleSalary
Line Cook$41,722 /yr
Senior Line Cook$58,053 /yr
Lead Line Cook$48,822 /yr

Top Paying Companies

For a Line Cook in United States

Below is the total pay for the top 10 highest paying companies for a Line Cook in United States. Employers include Google, Tata Consultancy Services and US Navy.

1
Google
Google
$59,631/yr
1K open jobs
9
SBE
$39,469/yr
10
Vi
$39,385/yr
See pay for all companies for a Line Cook in United StatesView data as table

Top Paying Companies

For Line Cook in United States

1Google$59,631
2Tata Consultancy Services$41,265
3US Navy$40,715
4Compass$39,902
5Johnson & Johnson$39,812
6US Army$39,792
7Trader Joe's$39,643
8Eataly$39,613
9SBE$39,469
10Vi$39,385
Total Pay Trajectory

For Line Cook

$41,722 /yr
Line Cook
$58,053 /yr
Senior Line Cook
$48,822 /yr
Lead Line Cook
See Full Career Path

Download as data table

What is the total pay trajectory for Line Cook?

Job TitleSalary
Line Cook$41,722 /yr
Senior Line Cook$58,053 /yr
Lead Line Cook$48,822 /yr

What are total pay estimates for a Line Cook at different companies?

or
Sort:
Company
Jobs
Total Pay Range
McDonald's
3.5
Line CookSee 2,309 salaries from all locations

$16

 / hr
Red Robin
3.4
Line CookSee 721 salaries from all locations

$17

 / hr
Applebee's
3.5
Line CookSee 647 salaries from all locations

$16

 / hr
Panera Bread
3.3
Line CookSee 521 salaries from all locations

$16

 / hr
Olive Garden Italian Restaurants
3.7
Line CookSee 491 salaries from all locations

$16

 / hr
Buffalo Wild Wings
3.3
Line CookSee 468 salaries from all locations

$16

 / hr
Chili's Grill and Bar
3.5
Line CookSee 430 salaries from all locations

$17

 / hr

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Texas Roadhouse
3.7
Line CookSee 361 salaries from all locations

$16

 / hr
Chipotle
3.4
Line CookSee 293 salaries from all locations

$16

 / hr
Burger King
3.4
Line CookSee 293 salaries from all locations

$15

 / hr
The Cheesecake Factory
3.8
Line CookSee 287 salaries from all locations

$17

 / hr
LongHorn Steakhouse
3.8
Line CookSee 275 salaries from all locations

$17

 / hr
Red Lobster
3.5
Line CookSee 256 salaries from all locations

$16

 / hr
BOYNE
3.7
Line CookSee 254 salaries from all locations

$37,842

 / yr
Taco Bell
3.5
Line CookSee 249 salaries from all locations

$15

 / hr
Outback Steakhouse
3.7
Line CookSee 236 salaries from all locations

$17

 / hr
IHOP
3.2
Line CookSee 196 salaries from all locations

$15

 / hr
Chick-fil-A
4
Line CookSee 176 salaries from all locations

$15

 / hr
Denny's
3.4
Line CookSee 169 salaries from all locations

$17

 / hr
Pizza Hut
3.5
Line CookSee 165 salaries from all locations

$15

 / hr
Download as data table

Line Cook Salaries

Job TitleSalary
McDonald's Line Cook salaries - 2,309 salaries reported$16/hr
Red Robin Line Cook salaries - 721 salaries reported$17/hr
Applebee's Line Cook salaries - 647 salaries reported$16/hr
Panera Bread Line Cook salaries - 521 salaries reported$16/hr
Olive Garden Italian Restaurants Line Cook salaries - 491 salaries reported$16/hr
Buffalo Wild Wings Line Cook salaries - 468 salaries reported$16/hr
Chili's Grill and Bar Line Cook salaries - 430 salaries reported$17/hr
Texas Roadhouse Line Cook salaries - 361 salaries reported$16/hr
Chipotle Line Cook salaries - 293 salaries reported$16/hr
Burger King Line Cook salaries - 293 salaries reported$15/hr
The Cheesecake Factory Line Cook salaries - 287 salaries reported$17/hr
LongHorn Steakhouse Line Cook salaries - 275 salaries reported$17/hr
Red Lobster Line Cook salaries - 256 salaries reported$16/hr
BOYNE Line Cook salaries - 254 salaries reported$37,842/yr
Taco Bell Line Cook salaries - 249 salaries reported$15/hr
Outback Steakhouse Line Cook salaries - 236 salaries reported$17/hr
IHOP Line Cook salaries - 196 salaries reported$15/hr
Chick-fil-A Line Cook salaries - 176 salaries reported$15/hr
Denny's Line Cook salaries - 169 salaries reported$17/hr
Pizza Hut Line Cook salaries - 165 salaries reported$15/hr
Viewing 1 - 20 of 9,140

Top Paying Industries

For a Line Cook in United States

The top 5 paying industries for a Line Cook in United States are Government & Public Administration with a median total pay of $40,253, Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology with a median total pay of $39,812, Telecommunications with a median total pay of $39,469, Information Technology with a median total pay of $39,303, and Management & Consulting with a median total pay of $37,839.

IndustryTotal PayTotal Pay Insight
  • Government & Public AdministrationGovernment & Public Administration$40,253

    13% Higher than other industries

  • Pharmaceutical & BiotechnologyPharmaceutical & Biotechnology$39,812

    12% Higher than other industries

  • TelecommunicationsTelecommunications$39,469

    11% Higher than other industries

  • Information TechnologyInformation Technology$39,303

    10% Higher than other industries

  • Management & ConsultingManagement & Consulting$37,839

    7% Higher than other industries

Government & Public Administration

Top paying companies in Government & Public Administration for Line Cook are US Navy and US Army.

US NavyUS Navy$40,715/yr
US ArmyUS Army$39,792/yr

Glassdoor Economist Pay Overview

What is the pay outlook for Retail & Food Services?

Job openings are high in retail and food services as more Americans spend money at stores and restaurants. While retail and food services wages are lower than the national average, wage growth is higher. Jobs in retail and food services generally require little formal education or training, making these jobs accessible to most job seekers.

Recent Salaries Shared

For line cook

Salary Share
Anonymously share your pay to help the community

Job Title

Location

Total Pay

Base Pay | Additional Pay

Total Years of Experience

Years at Recent Employer

Submitted

Date or Time

Line Cook

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$15

/hr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Line Cook

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$12

/hr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Line Cook

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$9

/hr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Line Cook

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$18

/hr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Line Cook

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$15

/hr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Line Cook

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$15

/hr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Line Cook

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$10

/hr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Line Cook

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$15

/hr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Line Cook

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$9

/hr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday

Line Cook pay FAQ

The average salary for a Line Cook is $41,722 per year in United States. Salaries estimates are based on 29338 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by a Line Cook employees in United States.

The highest salary for a Line Cook in United States is $48,120 per year.

The lowest salary for a Line Cook in United States is $36,373 per year.

If you are thinking of becoming a Line Cook or planning the next step in your career, find details about the role, the career path and salary trajectory of a Line Cook.

Anonymous ratings from the Glassdoor database show that 59% of line cooks are satisfied with their current salary. Two or more years of experience, tip-sharing restaurant policies, and specialist skills can increase a line cook's pay potential, which may qualify a salary as good.

Those looking to earn more in their careers as line cooks can work on improving their key skills. These include working on their knife proficiency, preparing food correctly by following the recipes, becoming proficient in a variety of cooking techniques, and improving their plating skills. Line cooks also need to show their abilities by strictly adhering to food standard guidelines to avoid contamination. Line cooks can earn a higher salary by assisting in the development of the restaurant menu or proposing daily specials, as this showcases creativity and leadership skills.

The salary of a line cook can be heavily influenced by the candidate's negotiation skills. Line cooks can negotiate a higher salary by checking current line cook job listings and advocating for a raise if their pay is below the market rate. They are also in a good position to negotiate if they can show a good business case to their employers. Presenting a record of excellent work, adding value to the business, and showing they've increased staff morale are all good arguments for asking for an increase in salary. Line cooks should also highlight any cases in which they handled additional responsibility, such as menu development or training new staff.

Additional Resources

Line Cook Job Description Template

Salaries

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