Chefs and Head Cooks
Chefs and Head Cooks (SOC 35-1011) earn a median $62,470 a year ($30.03 an hour) in the United States, with 200,040 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Rhode Island.
What chefs and head cooks do
Chefs and head cooks direct the kitchen, overseeing how food is prepared, seasoned, and cooked and often taking part in the cooking themselves. They plan and price menu items, estimate the amounts and costs of food and ingredients, and set the standards for recipes and presentation that the line follows. Much of the day goes to ordering supplies, checking the quantity and quality of what is delivered, and inspecting supplies, equipment, and work areas against established standards. They also train cooks, supervise and coordinate the cooks and other workers engaged in food preparation, and monitor sanitation practices, while still cooking, tasting, and plating. The title is used for the person who directs the kitchen as a whole, which separates it from line cooks who work a single station and from the supervisors of food preparation and serving workers coded in 35-1012. Titles include executive chef, banquet chef, and chef de cuisine.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report an associate degree as the usual education level (about 54 percent).
Also called: Banquet Chef, Certified Executive Chef (CEC), Chef, Chef de Cuisine.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $18.22 | $23.29 | $30.03 | $37.86 | $47.39 | $32.07 | 200,040 |
| Annual | $37,900 | $48,440 | $62,470 | $78,750 | $98,560 | $66,700 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where chefs and head cooks earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Rhode Island | Hourly | $27.25 | $34.44 | $38.43 | $46.24 | $61.10 | $40.80 | 740 | 1.48 | 1.15 |
| Annual | $56,680 | $71,630 | $79,930 | $96,180 | $127,080 | $84,860 | ||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $23.54 | $26.22 | $37.19 | $47.42 | $56.73 | $38.81 | 1,240 | 1.97 | 1.53 |
| Annual | $48,970 | $54,530 | $77,360 | $98,640 | $118,000 | $80,720 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $27.20 | $30.55 | $36.74 | $39.11 | $50.32 | $38.30 | 2,020 | 2.88 | 2.23 |
| Annual | $56,570 | $63,550 | $76,420 | $81,360 | $104,660 | $79,660 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $24.00 | $28.20 | $36.54 | $39.20 | $46.15 | $35.90 | 5,320 | 1.50 | 1.16 |
| Annual | $49,920 | $58,650 | $76,010 | $81,540 | $95,990 | $74,670 | ||||
| North Dakota | Hourly | $23.19 | $23.53 | $35.93 | $37.84 | $40.96 | $32.94 | 100 | 0.24 | 0.19 |
| Annual | $48,240 | $48,940 | $74,740 | $78,700 | $85,190 | $68,520 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $17.97 | $22.27 | $31.01 | $38.96 | $48.98 | $33.24 | 31,670 | 1.74 | 1.35 |
| Annual | $37,380 | $46,320 | $64,500 | $81,040 | $101,870 | $69,130 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $15.35 | $21.00 | $28.00 | $36.46 | $44.38 | $29.67 | 19,670 | 1.98 | 1.54 |
| Annual | $31,920 | $43,680 | $58,240 | $75,840 | $92,300 | $61,720 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $22.24 | $26.48 | $33.98 | $44.83 | $57.87 | $35.98 | 17,430 | 1.80 | 1.40 |
| Annual | $46,260 | $55,070 | $70,670 | $93,240 | $120,370 | $74,840 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $15.09 | $20.21 | $26.96 | $34.55 | $44.37 | $28.53 | 13,270 | 0.94 | 0.73 |
| Annual | $31,380 | $42,030 | $56,080 | $71,870 | $92,290 | $59,350 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $18.77 | $23.69 | $30.70 | $39.32 | $46.07 | $32.64 | 9,170 | 1.51 | 1.18 |
| Annual | $39,040 | $49,280 | $63,860 | $81,790 | $95,830 | $67,890 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Terre Haute, IN | Hourly | $13.56 | $20.22 | $41.31 | $47.36 | $47.36 | $33.85 | 50 | 0.83 | 0.65 |
| Annual | $28,190 | $42,070 | $85,920 | $98,510 | $98,510 | $70,410 | ||||
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | Hourly | $26.64 | $36.62 | $40.86 | $49.95 | $62.22 | $43.93 | 250 | 3.38 | 2.63 |
| Annual | $55,400 | $76,170 | $84,990 | $103,890 | $129,410 | $91,380 | ||||
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | Hourly | $24.83 | $30.56 | $40.59 | $45.00 | $46.51 | $38.22 | 470 | 1.04 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $51,640 | $63,570 | $84,430 | $93,600 | $96,730 | $79,500 | ||||
| Morgantown, WV | Hourly | $17.87 | $22.82 | $39.10 | $45.62 | $47.10 | $34.30 | 70 | 0.98 | 0.76 |
| Annual | $37,160 | $47,460 | $81,330 | $94,890 | $97,970 | $71,340 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $24.43 | $29.74 | $38.62 | $39.24 | $47.87 | $36.93 | 3,740 | 1.79 | 1.39 |
| Annual | $50,810 | $61,860 | $80,330 | $81,630 | $99,570 | $76,820 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $22.37 | $26.48 | $34.51 | $43.20 | $57.87 | $35.98 | 20,010 | 2.11 | 1.64 |
| Annual | $46,530 | $55,070 | $71,780 | $89,860 | $120,370 | $74,840 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.94 | $23.23 | $33.65 | $38.87 | $49.41 | $33.30 | 11,430 | 1.82 | 1.42 |
| Annual | $37,310 | $48,310 | $69,990 | $80,850 | $102,760 | $69,260 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $14.66 | $18.00 | $27.86 | $36.26 | $43.28 | $28.94 | 8,210 | 2.91 | 2.26 |
| Annual | $30,480 | $37,440 | $57,940 | $75,430 | $90,020 | $60,190 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $19.39 | $25.00 | $29.22 | $35.39 | $43.26 | $31.02 | 6,840 | 1.52 | 1.18 |
| Annual | $40,330 | $51,990 | $60,770 | $73,620 | $89,990 | $64,510 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $20.89 | $26.84 | $31.58 | $42.38 | $50.03 | $34.28 | 5,700 | 1.97 | 1.53 |
| Annual | $43,440 | $55,830 | $65,680 | $88,140 | $104,060 | $71,310 | ||||
Top industries employing chefs and head cooks
Restaurants and Other Eating Places employ 58.7% of chefs and head cooks nationally (117,450 jobs) at a median $59,060 a year ($28.40 an hour), followed by Special Food Services (11.0%) and Traveler Accommodation (9.5%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places NAICS 722500 | 117,450 | 58.7% | $59,060 | $28.40 |
| Special Food Services NAICS 722300 | 21,910 | 11.0% | $70,840 | $34.06 |
| Traveler Accommodation NAICS 721100 | 19,060 | 9.5% | $73,940 | $35.55 |
| Other Amusement and Recreation Industries NAICS 713900 | 10,230 | 5.1% | $74,000 | $35.58 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly NAICS 623300 | 5,190 | 2.6% | $59,210 | $28.47 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (200,040). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $50,160 for chefs and head cooks in May 2021 and $62,470 in May 2025, with employment of 129,810 and 200,040.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $50,160 | $24.11 | 129,810 |
| May 2022 | $56,520 | $27.17 | 160,190 |
| May 2023 | $58,920 | $28.33 | 172,370 |
| May 2024 | $60,990 | $29.32 | 182,320 |
| May 2025 | $62,470 | $30.03 | 200,040 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island profile | $38.43 | $79,930 | $56,680 | $127,080 | 740 | 1.48 | 1.15 |
| 2 | Hawaii profile | $37.19 | $77,360 | $48,970 | $118,000 | 1,240 | 1.97 | 1.53 |
| 3 | District of Columbia profile | $36.74 | $76,420 | $56,570 | $104,660 | 2,020 | 2.88 | 2.23 |
| 4 | Washington profile | $36.54 | $76,010 | $49,920 | $95,990 | 5,320 | 1.50 | 1.16 |
| 5 | North Dakota profile | $35.93 | $74,740 | $48,240 | $85,190 | 100 | 0.24 | 0.19 |
| 6 | New Jersey profile | $35.71 | $74,280 | $49,200 | $100,100 | 9,100 | 2.12 | 1.65 |
| 7 | Wyoming profile | $35.18 | $73,170 | $48,460 | $98,580 | 240 | 0.86 | 0.67 |
| 8 | South Carolina profile | $34.55 | $71,860 | $47,640 | $88,880 | 2,650 | 1.15 | 0.89 |
| 9 | New York profile | $33.98 | $70,670 | $46,260 | $120,370 | 17,430 | 1.80 | 1.40 |
| 10 | Tennessee profile | $33.56 | $69,810 | $45,410 | $98,860 | 3,820 | 1.17 | 0.91 |
| 11 | Massachusetts profile | $33.43 | $69,540 | $47,460 | $99,270 | 6,000 | 1.65 | 1.28 |
| 12 | Georgia profile | $31.84 | $66,230 | $43,300 | $100,970 | 3,680 | 0.75 | 0.58 |
| 13 | Vermont profile | $31.46 | $65,440 | $48,950 | $83,040 | 610 | 2.00 | 1.56 |
| 14 | Colorado profile | $31.44 | $65,400 | $46,330 | $93,270 | 3,970 | 1.38 | 1.07 |
| 15 | California profile | $31.01 | $64,500 | $37,380 | $101,870 | 31,670 | 1.74 | 1.35 |
| 16 | Missouri profile | $31.00 | $64,480 | $39,650 | $91,500 | 1,750 | 0.59 | 0.46 |
| 17 | Connecticut profile | $30.92 | $64,310 | $44,530 | $99,870 | 3,080 | 1.82 | 1.41 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania profile | $30.70 | $63,860 | $39,040 | $95,830 | 9,170 | 1.51 | 1.18 |
| 19 | Oregon profile | $30.58 | $63,600 | $45,910 | $95,180 | 2,510 | 1.28 | 0.99 |
| 20 | New Hampshire profile | $30.48 | $63,400 | $40,220 | $95,990 | 1,170 | 1.71 | 1.33 |
| 21 | Virginia profile | $30.42 | $63,270 | $43,010 | $90,470 | 3,600 | 0.88 | 0.68 |
| 22 | Minnesota profile | $30.10 | $62,600 | $48,400 | $95,890 | 1,730 | 0.59 | 0.45 |
| 23 | Alabama profile | $30.00 | $62,400 | $39,940 | $85,990 | 1,000 | 0.47 | 0.37 |
| 24 | Nevada profile | $29.99 | $62,380 | $36,410 | $100,980 | 3,940 | 2.54 | 1.97 |
| 25 | New Mexico profile | $29.93 | $62,250 | $43,370 | $100,010 | 770 | 0.89 | 0.69 |
| 26 | Maryland profile | $29.61 | $61,590 | $38,310 | $100,330 | 3,220 | 1.17 | 0.91 |
| 27 | Delaware profile | $29.54 | $61,440 | $49,920 | $84,680 | 590 | 1.22 | 0.95 |
| 28 | Wisconsin profile | $29.47 | $61,300 | $41,990 | $87,570 | 1,860 | 0.63 | 0.49 |
| 29 | North Carolina profile | $29.39 | $61,130 | $38,210 | $92,210 | 4,920 | 1.00 | 0.77 |
| 30 | West Virginia profile | $29.38 | $61,100 | $40,520 | $88,690 | 350 | 0.49 | 0.38 |
| 31 | Nebraska profile | $29.09 | $60,510 | $39,650 | $99,990 | 540 | 0.53 | 0.41 |
| 32 | Michigan profile | $28.88 | $60,070 | $42,170 | $82,000 | 5,360 | 1.22 | 0.95 |
| 33 | Arizona profile | $28.79 | $59,890 | $33,970 | $95,240 | 4,080 | 1.26 | 0.98 |
| 34 | Utah profile | $28.39 | $59,060 | $27,940 | $79,420 | 1,740 | 1.00 | 0.78 |
| 35 | Illinois profile | $28.29 | $58,830 | $40,330 | $88,420 | 8,290 | 1.36 | 1.06 |
| 36 | Oklahoma profile | $28.14 | $58,540 | $28,920 | $77,450 | 1,430 | 0.84 | 0.65 |
| 37 | Kansas profile | $28.07 | $58,390 | $36,540 | $89,990 | 860 | 0.60 | 0.46 |
| 38 | Florida profile | $28.00 | $58,240 | $31,920 | $92,300 | 19,670 | 1.98 | 1.54 |
| 39 | Montana profile | $27.63 | $57,470 | $38,200 | $80,180 | 720 | 1.41 | 1.09 |
| 40 | Maine profile | $27.41 | $57,010 | $48,430 | $81,120 | 1,250 | 1.95 | 1.52 |
| 41 | Texas profile | $26.96 | $56,080 | $31,380 | $92,290 | 13,270 | 0.94 | 0.73 |
| 42 | Mississippi profile | $26.37 | $54,850 | $30,900 | $83,850 | 840 | 0.72 | 0.56 |
| 43 | Ohio profile | $25.96 | $53,990 | $38,370 | $89,960 | 4,000 | 0.72 | 0.56 |
| 44 | Alaska profile | $25.09 | $52,190 | $39,170 | $91,520 | 680 | 2.08 | 1.61 |
| 45 | Indiana profile | $25.09 | $52,190 | $30,930 | $82,430 | 1,940 | 0.61 | 0.47 |
| 46 | Idaho profile | $25.00 | $52,000 | $33,590 | $83,240 | 550 | 0.64 | 0.50 |
| 47 | South Dakota profile | $23.30 | $48,470 | $37,450 | $57,820 | 300 | 0.65 | 0.51 |
| 48 | Kentucky profile | $23.11 | $48,070 | $31,550 | $88,410 | 1,790 | 0.90 | 0.70 |
| 49 | Iowa profile | $23.07 | $47,990 | $36,770 | $74,730 | 1,640 | 1.05 | 0.82 |
| 50 | Arkansas profile | $22.20 | $46,170 | $33,500 | $87,730 | 880 | 0.68 | 0.53 |
| 51 | Louisiana profile | $21.91 | $45,570 | $32,320 | $86,750 | 1,990 | 1.03 | 0.80 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (35-1010), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 35-1011 Chefs and Head Cooks.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 35-1011, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 35-1011.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.