Chefs and Head Cooks salary
in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
- Middle 50%
- $45,760–$76,590
- vs U.S. median
- -3%
- Metro rank
- #93 of 160
Chefs and Head Cooks in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro earn a median of $60,600 a year, based on BLS estimates for 3,890 jobs (May 2025). That is 3% below the U.S. median of $62,470 and 6% below the CA statewide median of $64,500. It ranks #93 of 160 metros with published figures for this job.
- SOURCEBLS OEWS, May 2025
- SAMPLE3,890 jobs (estimate)
- SCOPEall employers, all experience levels
- PERIODMay 2025 estimates
Full percentile breakdown
BLS · metro vs U.S.
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Chefs and Head Cooks pay in other CA metros
8 metros · BLS
| Metro | Median |
|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $79,020 |
| Napa, CA | $78,960 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $73,570 |
| Salinas, CA | $72,440 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $69,990 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $68,970 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $65,060 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $64,480 |
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RELATED JOBS IN SAN DIEGO
Questions
What is the average Chefs and Head Cooks salary in San Diego?
The BLS median is $60,600 a year (May 2025). Half of the 3,890 jobs pay between $45,760 and $76,590. The 10th percentile is $37,440 and the 90th is $96,740.
Is San Diego a high-paying metro for Chefs and Head Cooks?
That is 3% below the U.S. median of $62,470 and 6% below the CA statewide median of $64,500. It ranks #93 of 160 U.S. metros with published BLS figures for this job.
How much do Chefs and Head Cooks make an hour in San Diego?
About $29.13 an hour at the median (the BLS annual figure of $60,600 divided by 2,080 hours, the conversion BLS uses). The middle half earn about $22.00–$36.82 an hour. Straight-time pay, before overtime and shift differentials.
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.