Outpaid

Chefs and Head Cooks salary

The BLS estimates 200,040 Chefs and Head Cooks jobs in the U.S. with a median base pay of $62,470 (May 2025, SOC 35-1011). Across 160 metros with published figures, medians range from $35,990 in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR to $84,990 in Kahului-Wailuku, HI.

CHEFS AND HEAD COOKS · UNITED STATES · BLS
BLS · UNITED STATES · ALL EMPLOYERS, ALL EXPERIENCE LEVELS
P10$37,900P25$48,440MEDIAN$62,470P75$78,750P90$98,560
30 SECONDS · NO SIGNUP · ON-DEVICE

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HIGHEST-PAYING METROS

  1. Kahului-Wailuku, HI$84,990 · 250 jobs
  2. Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY$84,430 · 470 jobs
  3. Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area$80,820 · 250 jobs
  4. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$80,330 · 3,740 jobs
  5. Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$79,340 · 1,070 jobs
  6. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$79,020 · 1,280 jobs
  7. Napa, CA$78,960 · 300 jobs
  8. Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ$75,740 · 900 jobs
  9. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$74,900 · 4,680 jobs
  10. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$74,660 · 2,370 jobs

LARGEST METROS

  1. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$71,780 · 20,010 jobs
  2. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$69,990 · 11,430 jobs
  3. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL$57,940 · 8,210 jobs
  4. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$60,770 · 6,840 jobs
  5. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$65,680 · 5,700 jobs
  6. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$68,970 · 5,340 jobs
  7. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$74,900 · 4,680 jobs
  8. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$72,470 · 4,430 jobs
  9. San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$60,600 · 3,890 jobs
  10. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$80,330 · 3,740 jobs

ALL METROS (A–Z)

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA · Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX · Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD · Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH · Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN · Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN · Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO · Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI · Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT · Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX · Jacksonville, FL · Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA · Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL · Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI · Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ · Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD · Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ · Pittsburgh, PA · Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA · Providence-Warwick, RI-MA · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA · Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA · San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA · San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA · San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA · St. Louis, MO-IL · Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

Questions

What is the median Chefs and Head Cooks salary in the U.S.?

$62,470 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $48,440–$78,750.

Where do Chefs and Head Cooks earn the most?

Highest metro medians: Kahului-Wailuku, HI ($84,990), Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY ($84,430), Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area ($80,820). Cost of living differs, so compare offers locally.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025 (metro, state and national estimates). Employer filing counts: U.S. DOL OFLC LCA disclosure data FY2026 Q3, visa-sponsored positions only.