Chefs and Head Cooks salary
The median pay for chefs and head cooks in the United States is $62,470 a year. About 200,040 people hold this job.
- 10th percentile
- $37,900
- 25th percentile
- $48,440
- Median percentile
- $62,470
- 75th percentile
- $78,750
- 90th percentile
- $98,560
Percentiles show the spread of pay, not experience. BLS does not report experience, so reading the 25th percentile as "entry level" is only a rough guide. Data period: BLS OEWS May 2025.
How to become: education, skills and job outlook
Highest-paying states · Highest-paying cities
By state
- Rhode Island $79,930
- Hawaii $77,360
- District of Columbia $76,420
- Washington $76,010
- North Dakota $74,740
- New Jersey $74,280
- Wyoming $73,170
- South Carolina $71,860
- New York $70,670
- Tennessee $69,810
- Massachusetts $69,540
- Georgia $66,230
- Vermont $65,440
- Colorado $65,400
- California $64,500
- Missouri $64,480
- Connecticut $64,310
- Pennsylvania $63,860
- Oregon $63,600
- New Hampshire $63,400
- Virginia $63,270
- Minnesota $62,600
- Alabama $62,400
- Nevada $62,380
- New Mexico $62,250
- Maryland $61,590
- Delaware $61,440
- Wisconsin $61,300
- North Carolina $61,130
- West Virginia $61,100
- Nebraska $60,510
- Michigan $60,070
- Arizona $59,890
- Utah $59,060
- Illinois $58,830
- Oklahoma $58,540
- Kansas $58,390
- Florida $58,240
- Montana $57,470
- Maine $57,010
- Texas $56,080
- Mississippi $54,850
- Ohio $53,990
- Alaska $52,190
- Indiana $52,190
- Idaho $52,000
- South Dakota $48,470
- Kentucky $48,070
- Iowa $47,990
- Arkansas $46,170
- Louisiana $45,570
By metro area
- Terre Haute, IN $85,920
- Kahului, HI $84,990
- Albany, NY $84,430
- Morgantown, WV $81,330
- Seattle, WA $80,330
- Providence, RI $79,340
- San Jose, CA $79,020
- Napa, CA $78,960
- Atlantic City, NJ $75,740
- Vineland, NJ $75,050
- Bremerton, WA $74,940
- Washington, DC $74,900
- Kingston, NY $74,710
- Atlanta, GA $74,660
- Urban Honolulu, HI $74,380
- Buffalo, NY $74,290
- Charleston, SC $74,210
- Kennewick, WA $73,750
- Hilton Head Island, SC $73,690
- Wenatchee, WA $73,690
- Santa Rosa, CA $73,570
- Spartanburg, SC $72,670
- Boston, MA $72,470
- Salinas, CA $72,440
- Kiryas Joel, NY $72,340
- Olympia, WA $72,270
- Santa Fe, NM $72,020
- New York, NY $71,780
- Myrtle Beach, SC $71,700
- Spokane, WA $71,540
- Gainesville, GA $70,780
- Nashville, TN $70,420
- Bellingham, WA $70,410
- Trenton, NJ $70,210
- Los Angeles, CA $69,990
- Burlington, VT $69,920
- Columbia, SC $69,820
- Greenville, SC $69,680
- Jackson, TN $69,280
- San Francisco, CA $68,970
- Auburn, AL $68,830
- Daphne, AL $68,830
- Naples, FL $68,830
- Walla Walla, WA $68,120
- Augusta, GA $68,070
- Barnstable Town, MA $67,700
- Glens Falls, NY $67,590
- Florence, SC $67,550
- Warner Robins, GA $67,530
- Springfield, MO $67,460
- Sandusky, OH $67,190
- Reading, PA $66,980
- Denver, CO $66,970
- Bridgeport, CT $66,930
- New Haven, CT $66,700
- Amherst Town, MA $66,450
- Pittsburgh, PA $66,320
- Memphis, TN $66,230
- Dalton, GA $66,090
- Durham, NC $66,090
- Rochester, NY $66,080
- Wausau, WI $65,910
- Tuscaloosa, AL $65,900
- Portland, OR $65,690
- Philadelphia, PA $65,680
- Santa Maria, CA $65,060
- Coeur d'Alene, ID $65,030
- Sumter, SC $65,020
- Medford, OR $64,700
- Worcester, MA $64,620
- Jackson, MS $64,480
- Riverside, CA $64,480
- St. Louis, MO $64,480
- Madison, WI $64,300
- Charlotte, NC $64,260
- Syracuse, NY $64,170
- Dallas, TX $64,100
- Ithaca, NY $64,010
- Kansas City, MO $64,010
- Huntsville, AL $64,000
- Springfield, MA $64,000
- Salem, OR $63,750
- Savannah, GA $63,700
- Chattanooga, TN $63,690
- Sheboygan, WI $63,430
- Elmira, NY $63,410
- Harrisonburg, VA $63,270
- Manchester, NH $63,260
- Minneapolis, MN $63,240
- Vallejo, CA $63,230
- Allentown, PA $63,220
- Oklahoma City, OK $63,160
- Longview, WA $63,080
- Kalamazoo, MI $63,050
- Binghamton, NY $63,010
- Eugene, OR $62,960
- Columbus, GA $62,920
- Yakima, WA $62,920
- Hartford, CT $62,820
- Knoxville, TN $62,770
- Birmingham, AL $62,760
- Watertown, NY $62,740
- Greeley, CO $62,730
- Oxnard, CA $62,620
- Rochester, MN $62,520
- Bozeman, MT $62,460
- Austin, TX $62,400
- Las Vegas, NV $62,380
- Pinehurst, NC $62,260
- Omaha, NE $62,240
- Norwich, CT $62,220
- Appleton, WI $62,200
- Cleveland, TN $62,180
- Bend, OR $62,110
- Reno, NV $62,070
- Charlottesville, VA $61,990
- Grand Rapids, MI $61,890
- Fresno, CA $61,870
- Grand Junction, CO $61,810
- Boulder, CO $61,740