Chefs and Head Cooks Wages
SOC 35-1011 • Full occupation profile
The median annual wage for Chefs and Head Cooks is $58,920 nationally (2023 BLS OEWS). The 10th percentile is $36,040 and the 90th percentile is $93,900, showing the wide spread of wages in this occupation.
National Wage Distribution (2023)
Employment
172,370
P10
$36,040
P25
$45,590
Median
$58,920
P75
$75,590
P90
$93,900
National Wage Trend
How national median and mean wages for Chefs and Head Cooks have moved across BLS OEWS release years.
| Year | Median | Mean | P10 | P90 | Employment | YoY Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $58,920 | $62,640 | $36,040 | $93,900 | 172,370 | — |
| 2022 | $56,520 | $60,210 | $33,750 | $91,520 | 160,190 | -4.07% |
| 2021 | $50,160 | $56,920 | $30,910 | $84,570 | 129,810 | -11.25% |
| 2020 | $53,380 | $58,740 | $30,300 | $90,790 | 101,490 | +6.42% |
Wages by State (2023)
State-level OEWS wage estimates for Chefs and Head Cooks. The highest median is in Hawaii at $94,030, 60% above the U.S. median.
| Area | Median Annual | vs National | Mean Annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $94,030 | +59.6% | $99,520 | 580 |
| Massachusetts | $75,770 | +28.6% | $77,120 | 4,470 |
| Rhode Island | $75,590 | +28.3% | $81,170 | 500 |
| North Dakota | $75,400 | +28% | $70,920 | 120 |
| District of Columbia | $69,410 | +17.8% | $75,520 | 1,770 |
| Washington | $67,140 | +14% | $67,360 | 4,470 |
| New Jersey | $65,000 | +10.3% | $71,100 | 6,350 |
| Arizona | $64,560 | +9.6% | $70,130 | 2,580 |
| Maryland | $63,550 | +7.9% | $66,560 | 2,730 |
| Colorado | $63,470 | +7.7% | $70,130 | 4,170 |
| New Mexico | $63,440 | +7.7% | $66,610 | 300 |
| New York | $62,750 | +6.5% | $68,410 | 13,670 |
| Wyoming | $62,220 | +5.6% | $61,080 | 300 |
| Illinois | $61,420 | +4.2% | $66,610 | 7,650 |
| Vermont | $61,240 | +3.9% | $64,870 | 770 |
| California | $60,930 | +3.4% | $67,150 | 27,460 |
| Connecticut | $60,570 | +2.8% | $66,950 | 3,490 |
| Alaska | $60,250 | +2.3% | $65,710 | 570 |
| Pennsylvania | $60,200 | +2.2% | $64,940 | 5,320 |
| Wisconsin | $59,160 | +0.4% | $60,570 | 2,050 |
| Maine | $58,490 | -0.7% | $58,540 | 1,030 |
| Alabama | $58,240 | -1.2% | $64,310 | 790 |
| North Carolina | $57,940 | -1.7% | $61,300 | 3,310 |
| Minnesota | $57,440 | -2.5% | $60,550 | 2,110 |
| Florida | $56,910 | -3.4% | $61,880 | 14,910 |
| Oregon | $56,900 | -3.4% | $58,160 | 2,740 |
| Michigan | $56,630 | -3.9% | $56,730 | 4,520 |
| New Hampshire | $56,040 | -4.9% | $58,690 | 1,180 |
| Tennessee | $55,650 | -5.5% | $59,540 | 2,150 |
| West Virginia | $55,180 | -6.3% | $58,260 | 330 |
| Missouri | $54,230 | -8% | $56,430 | 2,010 |
| Kansas | $53,760 | -8.8% | $56,990 | 1,260 |
| Nevada | $52,980 | -10.1% | $62,020 | 3,900 |
| South Carolina | $52,500 | -10.9% | $55,240 | 2,120 |
| Georgia | $52,230 | -11.4% | $55,460 | 4,560 |
| Nebraska | $51,940 | -11.8% | $61,730 | 730 |
| Delaware | $51,550 | -12.5% | $58,810 | 560 |
| Indiana | $51,440 | -12.7% | $56,180 | 1,420 |
| Virginia | $49,660 | -15.7% | $54,950 | 3,890 |
| Mississippi | $49,550 | -15.9% | $51,830 | 700 |
| Utah | $49,450 | -16.1% | $56,320 | 1,510 |
| Montana | $48,890 | -17% | $53,040 | 530 |
| Texas | $48,560 | -17.6% | $52,950 | 13,670 |
| Ohio | $47,980 | -18.6% | $53,800 | 4,480 |
| Arkansas | $46,380 | -21.3% | $55,050 | 1,060 |
| South Dakota | $46,260 | -21.5% | $47,840 | 160 |
| Idaho | $45,600 | -22.6% | $49,010 | 530 |
| Louisiana | $45,100 | -23.5% | $48,930 | 1,760 |
| Iowa | $41,790 | -29.1% | $46,180 | 1,570 |
| Kentucky | $36,770 | -37.6% | $47,280 | 2,050 |
| Oklahoma | $33,090 | -43.8% | $39,130 | 1,490 |