SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Direct and may participate in the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups, fish, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods. May plan and price menu items, order supplies, and keep records and accounts.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 35-1011.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $37,900 | $3,158 | $729 | $18.22 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $48,440 | $4,037 | $932 | $23.29 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $62,470 | $5,206 | $1,201 | $30.03 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $78,750 | $6,562 | $1,514 | $37.86 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $98,560 | $8,213 | $1,895 | $47.39 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Chefs and Head Cooks is $62,470, which is 23% higher. Among the 17 occupations of the field Food Preparation and Serving Related, it ranks number 1 by median pay. With 200,040 jobs, it makes up about 13 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Chefs and Head Cooks pay by state
The highest median pay was in Rhode Island ($79,930), Hawaii ($77,360) and District of Columbia ($76,420). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($30,800), Louisiana ($45,570) and Arkansas ($46,170). The most jobs were in California (31,670), Florida (19,670) and New York (17,430). The occupation is most concentrated in Virgin Islands, where its share of all jobs is 6.2 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | 740 | $79,930 | $84,860 | $38.43 |
| Hawaii | 1,240 | $77,360 | $80,720 | $37.19 |
| District of Columbia | 2,020 | $76,420 | $79,660 | $36.74 |
| Washington | 5,320 | $76,010 | $74,670 | $36.54 |
| North Dakota | 100 | $74,740 | $68,520 | $35.93 |
| New Jersey | 9,100 | $74,280 | $72,930 | $35.71 |
| Wyoming | 240 | $73,170 | $74,570 | $35.18 |
| South Carolina | 2,650 | $71,860 | $70,780 | $34.55 |
| New York | 17,430 | $70,670 | $74,840 | $33.98 |
| Tennessee | 3,820 | $69,810 | $70,710 | $33.56 |
| Massachusetts | 6,000 | $69,540 | $73,420 | $33.43 |
| Georgia | 3,680 | $66,230 | $70,450 | $31.84 |
| Vermont | 610 | $65,440 | $68,130 | $31.46 |
| Colorado | 3,970 | $65,400 | $70,320 | $31.44 |
| California | 31,670 | $64,500 | $69,130 | $31.01 |
| Missouri | 1,750 | $64,480 | $66,640 | $31.00 |
| Connecticut | 3,080 | $64,310 | $69,680 | $30.92 |
| Virgin Islands | 260 | $63,960 | $69,110 | $30.75 |
| Pennsylvania | 9,170 | $63,860 | $67,890 | $30.70 |
| Oregon | 2,510 | $63,600 | $67,510 | $30.58 |
| New Hampshire | 1,170 | $63,400 | $66,530 | $30.48 |
| Virginia | 3,600 | $63,270 | $65,320 | $30.42 |
| Minnesota | 1,730 | $62,600 | $66,910 | $30.10 |
| Alabama | 1,000 | $62,400 | $63,720 | $30.00 |
| Nevada | 3,940 | $62,380 | $67,380 | $29.99 |
| New Mexico | 770 | $62,250 | $67,080 | $29.93 |
| Maryland | 3,220 | $61,590 | $65,930 | $29.61 |
| Delaware | 590 | $61,440 | $66,590 | $29.54 |
| Wisconsin | 1,860 | $61,300 | $64,210 | $29.47 |
| North Carolina | 4,920 | $61,130 | $63,960 | $29.39 |
| West Virginia | 350 | $61,100 | $64,600 | $29.38 |
| Nebraska | 540 | $60,510 | $66,990 | $29.09 |
| Michigan | 5,360 | $60,070 | $62,460 | $28.88 |
| Arizona | 4,080 | $59,890 | $60,330 | $28.79 |
| Utah | 1,740 | $59,060 | $58,880 | $28.39 |
| Illinois | 8,290 | $58,830 | $62,810 | $28.29 |
| Oklahoma | 1,430 | $58,540 | $57,190 | $28.14 |
| Kansas | 860 | $58,390 | $60,930 | $28.07 |
| Florida | 19,670 | $58,240 | $61,720 | $28.00 |
| Montana | 720 | $57,470 | $61,580 | $27.63 |
| Maine | 1,250 | $57,010 | $61,540 | $27.41 |
| Texas | 13,270 | $56,080 | $59,350 | $26.96 |
| Mississippi | 840 | $54,850 | $56,910 | $26.37 |
| Ohio | 4,000 | $53,990 | $61,220 | $25.96 |
| Alaska | 680 | $52,190 | $59,430 | $25.09 |
| Indiana | 1,940 | $52,190 | $55,060 | $25.09 |
| Idaho | 550 | $52,000 | $57,390 | $25.00 |
| South Dakota | 300 | $48,470 | $47,900 | $23.30 |
| Kentucky | 1,790 | $48,070 | $55,770 | $23.11 |
| Iowa | 1,640 | $47,990 | $52,840 | $23.07 |
| Arkansas | 880 | $46,170 | $53,820 | $22.20 |
| Louisiana | 1,990 | $45,570 | $52,820 | $21.91 |
| Puerto Rico | 770 | $30,800 | $41,480 | $14.81 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Cooks, Private Household$47,940 a year
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$44,080 a year
- Cooks, All Other$37,690 a year
Common questions
How much do Chefs and Head Cooks earn in the United States?
The median pay was $62,470 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $37,900 and the highest-paid 10% more than $98,560.
How many people work as Chefs and Head Cooks?
About 200,040 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.