Outpaid

Chefs and Head Cooks salary
in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY

Chefs and Head Cooks in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro earn a median of $74,290 a year, based on BLS estimates for 640 jobs (May 2025). That is 19% above the U.S. median of $62,470 and 5% above the NY statewide median of $70,670. It ranks #12 of 160 metros with published figures for this job.

CHEFS AND HEAD COOKS · BUFFALO-CHEEKTOWAGA, NY · BLS
BLS OEWS MAY 2025 · BUFFALO-CHEEKTOWAGA, NY · ALL EMPLOYERS, ALL EXPERIENCE LEVELS
P10$48,500P25$59,010MEDIAN$74,290P75$92,080P90$103,510
BLS · UNITED STATES
P10$37,900P25$48,440MEDIAN$62,470P75$78,750P90$98,560
30 SECONDS · NO SIGNUP · ON-DEVICE

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CHEFS AND HEAD COOKS PAY IN OTHER NY METROS

Questions

What is the average Chefs and Head Cooks salary in Buffalo?

The BLS median is $74,290 a year (May 2025). Half of the 640 jobs pay between $59,010 and $92,080. The 10th percentile is $48,500 and the 90th is $103,510.

Is Buffalo a high-paying metro for Chefs and Head Cooks?

That is 19% above the U.S. median of $62,470 and 5% above the NY statewide median of $70,670. It ranks #12 of 160 U.S. metros with published BLS figures for this job.

Does this include experience levels?

BLS figures cover all experience levels together. Employer filings carry a DOL wage level, which the free checker can filter by (approximate).

Sources: U.S. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (national + state) (metro area estimates, all employers); employer rows from U.S. DOL OFLC LCA Disclosure Data, FY2026 Q3 (LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx). Base pay only. Estimates can have sampling error, especially for smaller metros.