Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$37,900
- 25th Percentile — Junior$48,440
- 50th Percentile — Median$62,470
- 75th Percentile — Senior$78,750
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$98,560
The top 10% of Chefs and Head Cooks earn $98,560 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $37,900, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $84,860 | +27.2% |
| Hawaii | $80,720 | +21.0% |
| District of Columbia | $79,660 | +19.4% |
| New York | $74,840 | +12.2% |
| Washington | $74,670 | +11.9% |
| Wyoming | $74,570 | +11.8% |
| Massachusetts | $73,420 | +10.1% |
| New Jersey | $72,930 | +9.3% |
| South Carolina | $70,780 | +6.1% |
| Tennessee | $70,710 | +6.0% |
| Georgia | $70,450 | +5.6% |
| Colorado | $70,320 | +5.4% |
| Connecticut | $69,680 | +4.5% |
| California | $69,130 | +3.6% |
| North Dakota | $68,520 | +2.7% |
| Vermont | $68,130 | +2.1% |
| Pennsylvania | $67,890 | +1.8% |
| Oregon | $67,510 | +1.2% |
| Nevada | $67,380 | +1.0% |
| New Mexico | $67,080 | +0.6% |
| Nebraska | $66,990 | +0.4% |
| Minnesota | $66,910 | +0.3% |
| Missouri | $66,640 | -0.1% |
| Delaware | $66,590 | -0.2% |
| New Hampshire | $66,530 | -0.3% |
| Maryland | $65,930 | -1.2% |
| Virginia | $65,320 | -2.1% |
| West Virginia | $64,600 | -3.1% |
| Wisconsin | $64,210 | -3.7% |
| North Carolina | $63,960 | -4.1% |
| Alabama | $63,720 | -4.5% |
| Illinois | $62,810 | -5.8% |
| Michigan | $62,460 | -6.4% |
| Florida | $61,720 | -7.5% |
| Montana | $61,580 | -7.7% |
| Maine | $61,540 | -7.7% |
| Ohio | $61,220 | -8.2% |
| Kansas | $60,930 | -8.7% |
| Arizona | $60,330 | -9.6% |
| Alaska | $59,430 | -10.9% |
| Texas | $59,350 | -11.0% |
| Utah | $58,880 | -11.7% |
| Idaho | $57,390 | -14.0% |
| Oklahoma | $57,190 | -14.3% |
| Mississippi | $56,910 | -14.7% |
| Kentucky | $55,770 | -16.4% |
| Indiana | $55,060 | -17.5% |
| Arkansas | $53,820 | -19.3% |
| Iowa | $52,840 | -20.8% |
| Louisiana | $52,820 | -20.8% |
| South Dakota | $47,900 | -28.2% |
What Factors Affect Chefs and Head Cooks Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Chefs and Head Cooks is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: Rhode Island pays an average of $84,860, while South Dakota pays $47,900 — a gap of $36,960 per year.
The middle half of Chefs and Head Cooks earn between $48,440 and $78,750 per year. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $37,900, while the top 10% earn more than $98,560.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
Compare with Similar Jobs
Related career salary benchmarks
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation $46,180/yr United States 30.8% vs this role
- Cooks Fast Food $32,390/yr United States 51.4% vs this role
- Cooks Institution and Cafeteria $38,810/yr United States 41.8% vs this role
- Cooks Restaurant $38,730/yr United States 41.9% vs this role
- Bartenders $40,790/yr United States 38.8% vs this role
- Fast Food and Counter Workers $32,150/yr United States 51.8% vs this role
- Registered Nurses $101,420/yr United States +52.1% vs this role
- Nurse Practitioners $137,300/yr United States +105.8% vs this role
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Chefs and Head Cooks?
The average salary for Chefs and Head Cooks in the United States is $66,700 per year, with a median of $62,470.
What is the starting salary for Chefs and Head Cooks?
Entry-level Chefs and Head Cooks typically earn between $37,900 and $48,440 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Chefs and Head Cooks the most?
Rhode Island pays Chefs and Head Cooks the most at $84,860 per year on average, followed by Hawaii ($80,720) and District of Columbia ($79,660).
How much do Chefs and Head Cooks make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $66,700, Chefs and Head Cooks earn approximately $32.07 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Chefs and Head Cooks a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 200,040 Chefs and Head Cooks jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $66,700 and a median of $62,470 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
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