Chef and Head Cook Salary
Chefs and Head Cooks earn a median $62,470 a year nationally. Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations
U.S. median
$62,470
$30.03 per hour
Range
$37,900 – $98,560
10th to 90th percentile
Employed
200,040
across the U.S.
▲2.4%
Pay trend: The median for chefs and head cooks in the U.S. rose from $60,990 (May 2024) to $62,470 (May 2025). That roughly kept pace with inflation (2.4%).
What chefs and head cooks do
Direct and may participate in the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups, fish, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods. May plan and price menu items, order supplies, and keep records and accounts.
- Typical education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience
- 5 years or more
- On-the-job training
- None
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +6.6% (faster than average)
- Openings per year
- 25,200
- Self-employed
- 7%
Employment of chefs and head cooks is projected to grow 6.6% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 25,200 openings are expected each year, on average, including jobs left by workers who retire or switch careers.
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Chef and Head Cook take-home pay calculator
Starts at the national median. Pick your state to see your real paycheck.
Your take-home pay
$52,375
per year · effective tax rate 16.2%
$4,365Monthly
$2,182Twice a month
$2,014Every 2 weeks
$25.18Hourly
- Federal income tax$5,316
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,873
- Medicare (1.45%)$906
- Texas income tax$0
- Take-home pay$52,375
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 0.00% state
Pay by experience
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home (no state tax) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $37,900 | $18.22 | $32,633 |
| 25th percentile | $48,440 | $23.29 | $41,102 |
| Median (50th) | $62,470 | $30.03 | $52,375 |
| 75th percentile | $78,750 | $37.86 | $64,231 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $98,560 | $47.38 | $78,167 |
Best cities for chefs and head cooks (after tax & cost of living)
| # | Metro area | Median | Take-home | Real value* | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $80,330 | $65,342 | $58,796 | 3,740 |
| 2 | Atlanta, GA | $74,660 | $58,101 | $58,068 | 2,370 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $74,900 | $58,100 | $53,360 | 4,680 |
| 4 | Las Vegas, NV | $62,380 | $52,302 | $52,190 | 3,430 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $72,470 | $56,409 | $52,102 | 4,430 |
| 6 | Dallas, TX | $64,100 | $53,684 | $52,075 | 3,550 |
| 7 | Philadelphia, PA | $65,680 | $52,938 | $51,619 | 5,700 |
| 8 | Orlando, FL | $61,390 | $51,507 | $50,787 | 2,360 |
| 9 | New York, NY | $71,780 | $56,048 | $49,793 | 20,010 |
| 10 | Detroit, MI | $60,870 | $48,753 | $48,608 | 2,660 |
| 11 | Phoenix, AZ | $61,400 | $50,189 | $48,578 | 2,870 |
| 12 | Los Angeles, CA | $69,990 | $54,771 | $48,228 | 11,430 |
| 13 | Riverside, CA | $64,480 | $51,205 | $48,106 | 2,770 |
| 14 | San Francisco, CA | $68,970 | $54,148 | $46,836 | 5,340 |
| 15 | Chicago, IL | $60,770 | $48,145 | $46,475 | 6,840 |
| 16 | San Diego, CA | $60,600 | $48,399 | $43,257 | 3,890 |
| 17 | Miami, FL | $57,940 | $48,735 | $42,692 | 8,210 |
| 18 | Houston, TX | $45,400 | $38,659 | $39,196 | 3,610 |
*Take-home pay in U.S.-average dollars (BEA Regional Price Parities).
Highest-paying cities
- Seattle, WA — $80,330
- Washington, DC — $74,900
- Atlanta, GA — $74,660
- Boston, MA — $72,470
- New York, NY — $71,780
- Los Angeles, CA — $69,990
- San Francisco, CA — $68,970
- Philadelphia, PA — $65,680
- Riverside, CA — $64,480
- Dallas, TX — $64,100
- Las Vegas, NV — $62,380
- Phoenix, AZ — $61,400
- Orlando, FL — $61,390
- Detroit, MI — $60,870
- Chicago, IL — $60,770
Chef and Head Cook salary by state
| State | Median | 1-yr change | Take-home | Range | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $79,930 | +1.0% | $62,680 | $56,680 – $127,080 | 740 |
| Hawaii | $77,360 | −4.7% | $58,904 | $48,970 – $118,000 | 1,240 |
| District of Columbia | $76,420 | +3.3% | $59,064 | $56,570 – $104,660 | 2,020 |
| Washington | $76,010 | +8.9% | $62,303 | $49,920 – $95,990 | 5,320 |
| North Dakota | $74,740 | −2.5% | $61,211 | $48,240 – $85,190 | 100 |
| New Jersey | $74,280 | +6.6% | $58,530 | $49,200 – $100,100 | 9,100 |
| Wyoming | $73,170 | +12.9% | $60,305 | $48,460 – $98,580 | 240 |
| South Carolina | $71,860 | +17.2% | $56,229 | $47,640 – $88,880 | 2,650 |
| New York | $70,670 | +9.9% | $55,327 | $46,260 – $120,370 | 17,430 |
| Tennessee | $69,810 | +17.4% | $57,941 | $45,410 – $98,860 | 3,820 |
| Massachusetts | $69,540 | −2.5% | $54,494 | $47,460 – $99,270 | 6,000 |
| Georgia | $66,230 | +28.3% | $52,581 | $43,300 – $100,970 | 3,680 |
| Vermont | $65,440 | +3.4% | $52,902 | $48,950 – $83,040 | 610 |
| Colorado | $65,400 | +2.2% | $52,560 | $46,330 – $93,270 | 3,970 |
| California | $64,500 | −3.4% | $51,219 | $37,380 – $101,870 | 31,670 |
| Missouri | $64,480 | +8.9% | $51,896 | $39,650 – $91,500 | 1,750 |
| Connecticut | $64,310 | +2.8% | $51,884 | $44,530 – $99,870 | 3,080 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,860 | +7.1% | $51,531 | $39,040 – $95,830 | 9,170 |
| Oregon | $63,600 | +5.5% | $48,547 | $45,910 – $95,180 | 2,510 |
| New Hampshire | $63,400 | +8.6% | $53,122 | $40,220 – $95,990 | 1,170 |
| Virginia | $63,270 | +5.8% | $50,194 | $43,010 – $90,470 | 3,600 |
| Minnesota | $62,600 | +5.3% | $49,746 | $48,400 – $95,890 | 1,730 |
| Alabama | $62,400 | −0.4% | $49,463 | $39,940 – $85,990 | 1,000 |
| Nevada | $62,380 | +6.5% | $52,302 | $36,410 – $100,980 | 3,940 |
| New Mexico | $62,250 | +12.8% | $50,438 | $43,370 – $100,010 | 770 |
| Maryland | $61,590 | −0.6% | $49,106 | $38,310 – $100,330 | 3,220 |
| Delaware | $61,440 | −5.9% | $48,814 | $49,920 – $84,680 | 590 |
| Wisconsin | $61,300 | +1.9% | $49,518 | $41,990 – $87,570 | 1,860 |
| North Carolina | $61,130 | +2.2% | $49,368 | $38,210 – $92,210 | 4,920 |
| West Virginia | $61,100 | +0.5% | $49,260 | $40,520 – $88,690 | 350 |
| Nebraska | $60,510 | +3.6% | $48,926 | $39,650 – $99,990 | 540 |
| Michigan | $60,070 | +2.8% | $48,144 | $42,170 – $82,000 | 5,360 |
| Arizona | $59,890 | −3.3% | $49,013 | $33,970 – $95,240 | 4,080 |
| Utah | $59,060 | +32.7% | $47,943 | $27,940 – $79,420 | 1,740 |
| Illinois | $58,830 | −4.3% | $46,683 | $40,330 – $88,420 | 8,290 |
| Oklahoma | $58,540 | +9.8% | $47,128 | $28,920 – $77,450 | 1,430 |
| Kansas | $58,390 | +0.2% | $46,638 | $36,540 – $89,990 | 860 |
| Florida | $58,240 | −2.2% | $48,976 | $31,920 – $92,300 | 19,670 |
| Montana | $57,470 | +3.3% | $46,413 | $38,200 – $80,180 | 720 |
| Maine | $57,010 | +2.1% | $45,321 | $48,430 – $81,120 | 1,250 |
| Texas | $56,080 | +9.9% | $47,240 | $31,380 – $92,290 | 13,270 |
| Mississippi | $54,850 | +21.9% | $44,790 | $30,900 – $83,850 | 840 |
| Ohio | $53,990 | −4.8% | $44,859 | $38,370 – $89,960 | 4,000 |
| Alaska | $52,190 | −9.4% | $44,115 | $39,170 – $91,520 | 680 |
| Indiana | $52,190 | −8.7% | $42,605 | $30,930 – $82,430 | 1,940 |
| Idaho | $52,000 | +4.0% | $42,314 | $33,590 – $83,240 | 550 |
| South Dakota | $48,470 | +4.2% | $41,126 | $37,450 – $57,820 | 300 |
| Kentucky | $48,070 | +8.7% | $39,239 | $31,550 – $88,410 | 1,790 |
| Iowa | $47,990 | +9.8% | $39,568 | $36,770 – $74,730 | 1,640 |
| Arkansas | $46,170 | −5.9% | $37,690 | $33,500 – $87,730 | 880 |
| Louisiana | $45,570 | +18.9% | $37,815 | $32,320 – $86,750 | 1,990 |
Related jobs
| Job | Median salary | Education | Growth 2025–35 |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $44,080 | High school diploma or equivalent | +5.4% |
| Cooks, Private Household | $47,940 | Postsecondary nondegree award | +5.1% |
| Cooks, All Other | $37,690 | No formal educational credential | +5.2% |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $37,450 | No formal educational credential | +2.8% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | $37,390 | No formal educational credential | +12.1% |
| Cooks, Short Order | $35,880 | No formal educational credential | -5.2% |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | $35,840 | No formal educational credential | +5.5% |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $35,360 | No formal educational credential | +4.5% |
| Food Preparation Worker | $35,320 | No formal educational credential | -3.0% |
| Waiter and Waitress | $35,230 | No formal educational credential | +2.0% |
Frequently asked questions
How much does a chef and head cook make?
The national median salary for chefs and head cooks is $62,470 a year ($30.03 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earn under $37,900 and the top 10% earn over $98,560. Source: BLS, May 2025.
Which state pays chefs and head cooks the most?
Rhode Island has the highest median pay at $79,930. After taxes and local prices, Seattle, WA offers the best real take-home pay of any metro area.
How many chefs and head cooks are there in the U.S.?
About 200,040 people work as chefs and head cooks nationwide.