Headline ideas
- Line cooks wanted
- Work the line with us
- Hot station, great team
- Cook with a crew you trust
- Now hiring line cooks
What to put on the sign
- Name the stations you need covered, such as grill, saute or fry, so experienced cooks know where they fit.
- Say whether the shifts are lunch, dinner or weekends, since cooks plan their lives around that.
- Mention if you train from within, which welcomes cooks who are early in their careers.
- Give a clear way to apply and ask for the chef or kitchen manager by name.
What pay to put on a line cook poster
Posters with a real number get more walk-ins than “competitive pay.” For reference, the Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median for restaurant cooks at $17.98/hr nationally and $22.03/hr in the Boston metro (May 2025 estimates). The full line cook salary breakdown shows the range.
The line cook role in one line
A line cook runs one station on the hot or cold line and turns raw product into plated dishes during service. The role sits between prep cooks and the sous chef, and it is the backbone of almost every restaurant kitchen.
Requirements worth printing
Keep the poster to the two or three that actually screen people out. The rest belongs in the full posting.
- Previous cooking experience in a restaurant, hotel, or institutional kitchen is preferred, though many places will train a motivated beginner
- Working knowledge of basic knife skills and common cooking methods like saute, grill, roast, and fry
- Ability to stand for a full shift, lift heavy pots and boxes, and work in a hot, busy environment
- Food handler card or ServSafe Food Handler certification is often required, depending on your city and state
- Reliable attendance and the ability to work nights, weekends, and holidays
Typical schedule
Most line cooks work five shifts a week, usually in the afternoon and evening, with extra weekend and holiday coverage and an early arrival for setup.
Put the same opening on the free Servestack jobs board and borrow wording from the line cook job description.