Chefs and Head Cookssalary
Official wage statistics for chefs and head cooks in United States, published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)), reference period May 2025. Approximately 200.04K people work in this occupation.
Wage distribution
| Percentile | Annual |
|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / lowest decile | $37,900 |
| 25th percentilelower quartile | $48,440 |
| Median (50th)typical worker | $62,470 |
| 75th percentileupper quartile | $78,750 |
| 90th percentiletop decile | $98,560 |
| Meanaverage, skews high | $66,700 |
Salary by state
Chefs and Head Cooks wages vary widely by state. Official U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates, May 2025, sorted by median. Suppressed areas omitted.
| State | Median (annual) | P10–P90 / low–high | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| RIRhode Island | $79,930 | $56,680 – $127,080 | 740 |
| HIHawaii | $77,360 | $48,970 – $118,000 | 1,240 |
| DCDistrict of Columbia | $76,420 | $56,570 – $104,660 | 2,020 |
| WAWashington | $76,010 | $49,920 – $95,990 | 5,320 |
| NDNorth Dakota | $74,740 | $48,240 – $85,190 | 100 |
| NJNew Jersey | $74,280 | $49,200 – $100,100 | 9,100 |
| WYWyoming | $73,170 | $48,460 – $98,580 | 240 |
| SCSouth Carolina | $71,860 | $47,640 – $88,880 | 2,650 |
| NYNew York | $70,670 | $46,260 – $120,370 | 17,430 |
| TNTennessee | $69,810 | $45,410 – $98,860 | 3,820 |
| MAMassachusetts | $69,540 | $47,460 – $99,270 | 6,000 |
| GAGeorgia | $66,230 | $43,300 – $100,970 | 3,680 |
| VTVermont | $65,440 | $48,950 – $83,040 | 610 |
| COColorado | $65,400 | $46,330 – $93,270 | 3,970 |
| CACalifornia | $64,500 | $37,380 – $101,870 | 31,670 |
| MOMissouri | $64,480 | $39,650 – $91,500 | 1,750 |
| CTConnecticut | $64,310 | $44,530 – $99,870 | 3,080 |
| VIVirgin Islands | $63,960 | $37,270 – $103,350 | 260 |
| PAPennsylvania | $63,860 | $39,040 – $95,830 | 9,170 |
| OROregon | $63,600 | $45,910 – $95,180 | 2,510 |
| NHNew Hampshire | $63,400 | $40,220 – $95,990 | 1,170 |
| VAVirginia | $63,270 | $43,010 – $90,470 | 3,600 |
| MNMinnesota | $62,600 | $48,400 – $95,890 | 1,730 |
| ALAlabama | $62,400 | $39,940 – $85,990 | 1,000 |
| NVNevada | $62,380 | $36,410 – $100,980 | 3,940 |
| NMNew Mexico | $62,250 | $43,370 – $100,010 | 770 |
| MDMaryland | $61,590 | $38,310 – $100,330 | 3,220 |
| DEDelaware | $61,440 | $49,920 – $84,680 | 590 |
| WIWisconsin | $61,300 | $41,990 – $87,570 | 1,860 |
| NCNorth Carolina | $61,130 | $38,210 – $92,210 | 4,920 |
| WVWest Virginia | $61,100 | $40,520 – $88,690 | 350 |
| NENebraska | $60,510 | $39,650 – $99,990 | 540 |
| MIMichigan | $60,070 | $42,170 – $82,000 | 5,360 |
| AZArizona | $59,890 | $33,970 – $95,240 | 4,080 |
| UTUtah | $59,060 | $27,940 – $79,420 | 1,740 |
| ILIllinois | $58,830 | $40,330 – $88,420 | 8,290 |
| OKOklahoma | $58,540 | $28,920 – $77,450 | 1,430 |
| KSKansas | $58,390 | $36,540 – $89,990 | 860 |
| FLFlorida | $58,240 | $31,920 – $92,300 | 19,670 |
| MTMontana | $57,470 | $38,200 – $80,180 | 720 |
| MEMaine | $57,010 | $48,430 – $81,120 | 1,250 |
| TXTexas | $56,080 | $31,380 – $92,290 | 13,270 |
| MSMississippi | $54,850 | $30,900 – $83,850 | 840 |
| OHOhio | $53,990 | $38,370 – $89,960 | 4,000 |
| AKAlaska | $52,190 | $39,170 – $91,520 | 680 |
| INIndiana | $52,190 | $30,930 – $82,430 | 1,940 |
| IDIdaho | $52,000 | $33,590 – $83,240 | 550 |
| SDSouth Dakota | $48,470 | $37,450 – $57,820 | 300 |
| KYKentucky | $48,070 | $31,550 – $88,410 | 1,790 |
| IAIowa | $47,990 | $36,770 – $74,730 | 1,640 |
| ARArkansas | $46,170 | $33,500 – $87,730 | 880 |
| LALouisiana | $45,570 | $32,320 – $86,750 | 1,990 |
| PRPuerto Rico | $30,800 | $23,730 – $68,580 | 770 |
Frequently asked
The median chefs and head cooks in United States earns $62,470 per year (reference period May 2025). Earnings typically range from $37,900 (10th percentile or low) to $98,560 (90th percentile or high). These are official statistics published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (SOC 2018 code 35-1011). FedSalary republishes official statistics only; no self-reported or crowdsourced figures. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates 200,040 people employed in this occupation in United States (May 2025).
Approximately EUR 56,791 · GBP 49,189 per year (mid-market snapshot 2026-05-02). The authoritative native figure is $62,470. FX conversion is informational only.