What are the main factors that influence a Lead Line Cook's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Lead Line Cook's salary?

A Lead Line Cook's salary grows with experience: starting around $37,065 for beginners, reaching about $37,938 at mid-level, and approach $39,981 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Lead Line Cook?

Lead Line Cook salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Lead Line Cook roles are District of Columbia $41,489, California $41,332, Massachusetts $40,781. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Lead Line Cook roles make?

Salaries for Lead Line Cook level roles vary by specialization: Line Cook/Prep: $38,834; Applebee's Line Cook: $38,308; Senior Line Cook/Prep Cook: $37,970; Senior Line Cook: $37,966; Line Cook/Dishwasher: $37,528.

How do different companies affect a Lead Line Cook's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Lead Line Cook roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Lead Line Cook Salary in the United States

How much does a Lead Line Cook make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Lead Line Cook in the United States is $37,472 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $18.

However, a Lead Line Cook's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $45,264
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $33,281 to $41,551
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $29,464

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Lead Line Cook Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$41,551	$3,463	$799	$20
Average	$37,472	$3,123	$721	$18
25th Percentile	$33,281	$2,773	$640	$16

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Key Factors That Influence Lead Line Cook Salaries

A Lead Line Cook's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Lead Line Cook Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Lead Line Cook's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $37,065
Early Career (1-2 years): $37,356
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $37,938
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $38,804
Expert (over 8 years): $39,981

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Lead Line Cook	$37,065
Intermediate Level Lead Line Cook	$37,356
Senior Level Lead Line Cook	$37,938
Specialist Level Lead Line Cook	$38,804
Expert Level Lead Line Cook	$39,981

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Lead Line Cook Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Lead Line Cooks. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $41,489.
California: $41,332.
Massachusetts: $40,781.

District of Columbia $41,489 California $41,332 Massachusetts $40,781 Washington $40,631 New Jersey $40,616 Alaska $40,564 Connecticut $40,047 New York $39,837

Hawaii $39,166 Rhode Island $38,851 Maryland $38,638 Minnesota $38,346 Colorado $38,233 Illinois $38,196 Oregon $38,053 Delaware $37,948

New Hampshire $37,882 Virginia $37,735 Pennsylvania $37,304 Nevada $37,086 North Dakota $37,015 Michigan $36,903 Wisconsin $36,862 Vermont $36,779

Texas $36,551 Maine $36,536 Arizona $36,513 Ohio $36,487 Georgia $36,142 Indiana $35,970 Wyoming $35,936 Utah $35,884

Iowa $35,861 Kansas $35,681 Louisiana $35,629 North Carolina $35,610 Missouri $35,603 Florida $35,456 Montana $35,378 Nebraska $35,303

Kentucky $35,262 South Carolina $35,112 Tennessee $35,018 Idaho $34,980 New Mexico $34,707 Oklahoma $34,647 Alabama $34,426 South Dakota $34,055

Arkansas $33,853 West Virginia $33,744 Mississippi $33,418

Top Paying Cities for Lead Line Cooks

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $47,264
San Francisco: $46,746
Oakland: $45,761

San Jose, CA $47,264

San Francisco, CA $46,746

Oakland, CA $45,761

New York, NY $43,145

Paramus, NJ $42,621

Queens Village, NY $42,619

Passaic, NJ $42,583

Bergenfield, NJ $42,580

Stamford, CT $42,497

Huntington, NY $42,482

Newark, NJ $42,205

Bridgeport, CT $42,126

Vallejo, CA $42,052

New Brunswick, NJ $42,037

Petaluma, CA $42,014

Middlesex, NJ $41,943

Somerset, NJ $41,917

Santa Cruz, CA $41,868

Boston, MA $41,639

Monterey, CA $41,508

Seattle, WA $41,422

Santa Rosa, CA $41,414

Los Angeles, CA $41,403

Juneau, AK $41,306

Washington, DC $41,265

Orange, CA $41,131

Santa Ana, CA $41,032

Long Beach, CA $40,995

Anaheim, CA $40,987

Anchorage, AK $40,969

Santa Maria, CA $40,856

Everett, WA $40,849

Danbury, CT $40,717

Bremerton, WA $40,665

Tacoma, WA $40,530

New Suffolk, NY $40,529

Sacramento, CA $40,519

Santa Barbara, CA $40,478

Trenton, NJ $40,436

San Diego, CA $40,436

Brockton, MA $40,395

Fairbanks, AK $40,303

Lompoc, CA $40,208

Lowell, MA $40,178

Ventura, CA $40,170

Nashua, NH $40,163

Stockton, CA $40,159

Modesto, CA $39,886

Poughkeepsie, NY $39,803

Olympia, WA $39,732

Kennewick, WA $39,732

New Haven, CT $39,717

Lawrence, MA $39,582

Hartford, CT $39,545

Riverside, CA $39,537

New Bedford, MA $39,500

Richland, WA $39,500

Bakersfield, CA $39,447

San Bernardino, CA $39,432

New Britain, CT $39,428

Atlantic City, NJ $39,428

New London, CT $39,413

Norwich, CT $39,402

Portsmouth, NH $39,395

Boulder, CO $39,315

Portland, OR $39,264

Worcester, MA $39,260

Minneapolis, MN $39,144

Philadelphia, PA $39,091

Honolulu, HI $38,968

Saint Paul, MN $38,950

Vineland, NJ $38,941

Providence, RI $38,833

Chicago, IL $38,724

Bellingham, WA $38,679

Springfield, MA $38,649

Baltimore, MD $38,638

Chico, CA $38,544

Pittsfield, MA $38,443

Manchester, NH $38,372

Spokane, WA $38,207

Denver, CO $38,203

Albany, NY $38,027

Troy, NY $38,012

Nassau, NY $37,972

Schenectady, NY $37,933

Wilmington, DE $37,903

Burlington, VT $37,851

Salem, OR $37,836

Portland, ME $37,720

Yakima, WA $37,682

Rochester, MN $37,566

Reno, NV $37,547

Fresno, CA $37,547

Milwaukee, WI $37,514

Detroit, MI $37,476

Ann Arbor, MI $37,470

Allentown, PA $37,465

Colorado Springs, CO $37,401

Syracuse, NY $37,382

Carson City, NV $37,382

Houston, TX $37,330

Eugene, OR $37,311

Gary, IN $37,266

Springfield, OR $37,236

Bismarck, ND $37,229

Galveston, TX $37,203

Medford, OR $37,146

Fort Collins, CO $37,131

Concord, NH $37,113

Austin, TX $37,101

Mesa, AZ $37,023

Reading, PA $37,019

Phoenix, AZ $37,015

Dallas, TX $37,004

Saint Cloud, MN $36,968

Madison, WI $36,918

Utica, NY $36,817

Rochester, NY $36,757

Des Moines, IA $36,753

Raleigh, NC $36,749

Atlanta, GA $36,693

Battle Creek, MI $36,682

Salt Lake City, UT $36,670

Lancaster, PA $36,614

Harrisburg, PA $36,562

Kansas City, MO $36,524

Champaign, IL $36,517

Kansas City, KS $36,517

Fort Worth, TX $36,513

Columbus, OH $36,507

Boca Raton, FL $36,498

Pittsburgh, PA $36,483

Richmond, VA $36,468

Indianapolis, IN $36,461

Cleveland, OH $36,457

Las Vegas, NV $36,412

Cincinnati, OH $36,412

Petersburg, VA $36,356

Huntsville, AL $36,300

Lansing, MI $36,274

Lebanon, PA $36,270

Pueblo, CO $36,266

Appleton, WI $36,255

Buffalo, NY $36,240

Dayton, OH $36,228

Racine, WI $36,221

Charlotte, NC $36,217

Saint Louis, MO $36,206

York, PA $36,183

Elkhart, IN $36,183

Gastonia, NC $36,176

Billings, MT $36,167

Beaumont, TX $36,157

Lorain, OH $36,150

Benton Harbor, MI $36,142

Toledo, OH $36,135

Binghamton, NY $36,116

Rock Hill, SC $36,112

Rockford, IL $36,093

Springfield, IL $36,078

Elyria, OH $36,075

Fargo, ND $36,075

Flagstaff, AZ $36,048

Fort Lauderdale, FL $36,026

Duluth, MN $36,003

Miami, FL $36,003

Cheyenne, WY $35,977

Grand Forks, ND $35,977

Bangor, ME $35,895

Cedar Rapids, IA $35,854

Durham, NC $35,838

Louisville, KY $35,835

Grand Rapids, MI $35,827

Hialeah, FL $35,824

Casper, WY $35,771

Scranton, PA $35,726

New Orleans, LA $35,715

Virginia Beach, VA $35,711

Akron, OH $35,692

Peoria, IL $35,644

Sarasota, FL $35,636

Nashville, TN $35,610

Omaha, NE $35,610

Green Bay, WI $35,610

Baton Rouge, LA $35,591

Charleston, SC $35,584

Jamestown, NY $35,565

Davenport, IA $35,565

Tucson, AZ $35,546

Saint Petersburg, FL $35,524

Tampa, FL $35,516

Evansville, IN $35,494

Port Arthur, TX $35,494

Bradenton, FL $35,479

Santa Fe, NM $35,411

Orlando, FL $35,344

Clearwater, FL $35,333

Canton, OH $35,254

La Crosse, WI $35,254

Albuquerque, NM $35,232

Newport News, VA $35,228

High Point, NC $35,217

Ogden, UT $35,202

Corpus Christi, TX $35,172

Norfolk, VA $35,149

Laramie, WY $35,149

Rock Island, IL $35,127

Saginaw, MI $35,119

Jacksonville, FL $35,115

Salisbury, NC $35,108

Boise, ID $35,100

Moline, IL $35,082

Fort Myers, FL $35,070

Memphis, TN $35,063

Tulsa, OK $35,044

Waterloo, IA $35,022

Spartanburg, SC $34,984

Lincoln, NE $34,965

Fort Wayne, IN $34,958

Provo, UT $34,954

Cedar Falls, IA $34,909

San Antonio, TX $34,894

Greensboro, NC $34,879

South Bend, IN $34,876

Savannah, GA $34,834

Muskegon, MI $34,819

Birmingham, AL $34,816

Winston Salem, NC $34,797

Lake Charles, LA $34,707

Anderson, IN $34,699

Lexington, KY $34,688

Augusta, GA $34,677

Greenville, SC $34,677

Lima, OH $34,647

Wichita, KS $34,643

Tuscaloosa, AL $34,643

Columbia, SC $34,610

Springfield, OH $34,602

Asheville, NC $34,542

Bloomington, IN $34,516

Knoxville, TN $34,381

Shreveport, LA $34,377

Wilmington, NC $34,328

Roanoke, VA $34,328

Topeka, KS $34,261

Frankfort, KY $34,257

Oklahoma City, OK $34,231

Chillicothe, OH $34,216

Longview, TX $34,212

Melbourne, FL $34,209

Sioux Falls, SD $34,149

Mobile, AL $34,145

Terre Haute, IN $34,130

Altoona, PA $34,107

Amarillo, TX $34,081

Killeen, TX $34,070

Fayetteville, AR $34,040

Chattanooga, TN $34,029

Sioux City, IA $33,995

Idaho Falls, ID $33,987

Lynchburg, VA $33,957

Gainesville, FL $33,909

Portsmouth, OH $33,890

Little Rock, AR $33,883

Lafayette, LA $33,868

Youngstown, OH $33,868

Daytona Beach, FL $33,845

Clarksville, TN $33,841

Pensacola, FL $33,838

Temple, TX $33,835

Hopkinsville, KY $33,725

Erie, PA $33,718

Florence, SC $33,703

Charleston, WV $33,643

Great Falls, MT $33,624

Macon, GA $33,572

Tallahassee, FL $33,568

Fayetteville, NC $33,560

Waco, TX $33,553

Helena, MT $33,527

Pine Bluff, AR $33,512

Vincennes, IN $33,467

Lubbock, TX $33,452

Alamogordo, NM $33,429

Twin Falls, ID $33,395

Rapid City, SD $33,384

Jackson, MS $33,317

Huntington, WV $33,314

Greenville, MS $33,313

Parkersburg, WV $33,275

Montgomery, AL $33,268

Wichita Falls, TX $33,231

Springfield, MO $33,231

Biloxi, MS $33,212

Monroe, LA $33,174

Johnstown, PA $33,148

Sumter, SC $33,133

Columbus, GA $33,129

Pascagoula, MS $33,058

Abilene, TX $33,058

Kingsport, TN $32,961

Albany, GA $32,961

Gulfport, MS $32,949

Alexandria, LA $32,826

Fort Smith, AR $32,732

El Paso, TX $32,631

Las Cruces, NM $32,462

Harlingen, TX $32,367

Pocatello, ID $32,361

Florence, AL $32,312

Brownsville, TX $32,305

Mcallen, TX $32,226

Dothan, AL $32,174

Columbus, MS $31,951

Altus, OK $31,777

Lawton, OK $31,705

Pierre, SD $31,570

What Skills Can Increase a Lead Line Cook's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Commitment (Mentioned in 8.4% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Food Service (Mentioned in 3.6% Job Postings): The foodservice or catering industry includes the businesses, institutions, and companies which prepare meals outside the home.
Safety Regulations (Mentioned in 1.59% Job Postings): Regulations or rules that are put in place to ensure a product, event, etc., is safe and not dangerous.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Commitment	8.4%
Food Service	3.6%
Safety Regulations	1.59%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Lead Line Cook's salary.

Commitment: Can increase your salary by up to 19%.
Coaching: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Merchandising: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Commitment	$44,592	19%
Coaching	$41,220	10%
Merchandising	$40,470	8%
Food Safety	$40,095	7%
Leadership	$40,095	7%
Foodservice	$39,721	6%

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How Education impacts a Lead Line Cook's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Lead Line Cooks enter the field with a No Diploma degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Lead Line Cook with a No Diploma is between $38,281 and $41,120).

Lead Line Cook Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Lead Line Cook

No Diploma 2.3%

High School 43.4%

Associates 37.6%

Bachelors 15.7%

Masters 0.6%

Doctorate 0.3%

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Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	2.3%
High School	43.4%
Associates	37.6%
Bachelors	15.7%
Masters	0.6%
Doctorate	0.3%

view as graph

Lead Line Cook Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Lead Line Cook's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 01, 2026

$33,281

Average $37,472/year

$41,551

$2,773

Average $3,123/month

$3,463

$640

Average $721/week

$799

$16

Average $18/hour

$20

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$41,551	$3,463	$799	$20
Average	$37,472	$3,123	$721	$18
25th Percentile	$33,281	$2,773	$640	$16

Salaries of jobs related to Lead Line Cook

Salary Trends for Lead Line Cook

Salaries for a Lead Line Cook can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $40,684 in 2023 to around $40,213 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Lead Line Cook salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Lead Line Cook Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$40,684

2024

$40,451

2025

$40,213

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$40,684
2024	$40,451
2025	$40,213
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Lead Line Cook

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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