SOC 35-1011 · Food Preparation and Serving Related

Chefs and Head Cooks Salary by City

Chefs and head cooks earn the most in Kahului, HI (average $91,380 a year), followed by Napa, CA ($83,750) and San Jose, CA ($80,150), among the 340 metro areas we cover. Across all U.S. metro areas the average is $67,002 (May 2025).

$67,002U.S. metro average
$91Khighest: Kahului, HI
$36Klowest: Ponce, PR
340metro areas
Advertisement

Top 15 cities for chefs and head cooks by average salary

Kahului, HI$91,380
Napa, CA$83,750
San Jose, CA$80,150
Albany, NY$79,500
Providence, RI$79,440
Hilton Head Island, SC$77,860
Kingston, NY$77,740
Seattle, WA$76,820
Salinas, CA$76,270
Honolulu, HI$75,730
Buffalo, NY$75,600
Nashville, TN$75,580
Atlantic City, NJ$75,460
Boston, MA$75,450
Kiryas Joel, NY$74,890
Average annual wage, BLS OEWS May 2025.

Map: Chefs and Head Cooks salary by metro area

Loading map…

lower payhigher pay

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Chefs and Head Cooks salary by state

StateMetrosHighest averageLowest average
Hawaii2$91,380$75,730
California24$83,750$55,840
New York13$79,500$62,310
Rhode Island1$79,440$79,440
South Carolina8$77,860$62,490
Washington10$76,820$64,960
Tennessee10$75,580$57,340
New Jersey3$75,460$70,560
Massachusetts6$75,450$63,620
Connecticut5$74,660$65,270
Florida22$74,320$48,170
Washington, D.C.1$74,250$74,250
Georgia11$73,840$55,900
Colorado7$72,990$59,980
New Mexico3$72,590$64,430
Ohio10$72,320$52,320
West Virginia3$71,340$55,540
Pennsylvania16$71,310$53,740
Indiana8$70,410$42,840
Vermont1$70,400$70,400
Oregon6$69,430$62,230
Montana4$68,590$58,220
Wisconsin12$68,460$56,160
North Carolina13$68,430$57,050
Alabama7$68,260$62,480
Texas23$68,120$45,900
Maryland4$67,820$58,750
Missouri4$67,740$59,310
Nevada2$67,590$66,240
Minnesota5$67,570$60,980
Nebraska2$67,330$66,820
Idaho3$66,680$53,990
Louisiana10$65,820$43,250
Virginia8$65,130$57,250
New Hampshire1$65,020$65,020
Michigan14$64,590$52,720
Illinois7$64,510$51,650
Delaware1$63,050$63,050
North Dakota1$62,400$62,400
Maine3$62,390$58,790
Arizona7$62,120$46,950
Oklahoma2$61,360$54,180
Kentucky5$61,090$49,810
Mississippi3$60,760$55,000
Arkansas4$59,310$53,090
Utah5$59,170$50,450
Iowa8$58,540$50,740
Kansas4$58,420$48,330
Alaska2$57,110$55,690
South Dakota2$48,710$47,120
Puerto Rico4$43,240$36,230
Advertisement

Chefs and Head Cooks salary in every city we cover

Sort by any column. Each city links to its pay range, take-home pay and cost of living.

Metro areaAverageMedianHourlyJobs
Kahului, HI$91,380$84,990$43.93250
Napa, CA$83,750$78,960$40.26300
San Jose, CA$80,150$79,020$38.531,280
Albany, NY$79,500$84,430$38.22470
Providence, RI$79,440$79,340$38.191,070
Hilton Head Island, SC$77,860$73,690$37.43240
Kingston, NY$77,740$74,710$37.37140
Seattle, WA$76,820$80,330$36.933,740
Salinas, CA$76,270$72,440$36.67360
Honolulu, HI$75,730$74,380$36.41740
Buffalo, NY$75,600$74,290$36.35640
Nashville, TN$75,580$70,420$36.341,780
Atlantic City, NJ$75,460$75,740$36.28900
Boston, MA$75,450$72,470$36.284,430
Kiryas Joel, NY$74,890$72,340$36.00360
New York, NY$74,840$71,780$35.9820,010
Bridgeport, CT$74,660$66,930$35.90760
Naples, FL$74,320$68,830$35.73640
Washington, DC$74,250$74,900$35.704,680
San Francisco, CA$73,910$68,970$35.535,340
Atlanta, GA$73,840$74,660$35.502,370
Barnstable, MA$73,060$67,700$35.13260
Denver, CO$72,990$66,970$35.091,820
New Haven, CT$72,770$66,700$34.98460
Santa Fe, NM$72,590$72,020$34.90100
Rochester, NY$72,420$66,080$34.82690
Sandusky, OH$72,320$67,190$34.7760
Charleston, SC$71,800$74,210$34.52770
Santa Rosa, CA$71,510$73,570$34.38460
Morgantown, WV$71,340$81,330$34.3070
Philadelphia, PA$71,310$65,680$34.285,700
Glens Falls, NY$71,280$67,590$34.2780
Bremerton, WA$71,230$74,940$34.25140
Wenatchee, WA$70,890$73,690$34.0880
Trenton, NJ$70,640$70,210$33.96480
Vineland, NJ$70,560$75,050$33.92100
Syracuse, NY$70,520$64,170$33.90240
Terre Haute, IN$70,410$85,920$33.8550
Burlington, VT$70,400$69,920$33.85200
Reading, PA$70,150$66,980$33.73210
Santa Maria, CA$69,830$65,060$33.57520
Spartanburg, SC$69,560$72,670$33.44140
Portland, OR$69,430$65,690$33.381,580
Pittsburgh, PA$69,290$66,320$33.311,340
Los Angeles, CA$69,260$69,990$33.3011,430
Kennewick, WA$69,230$73,750$33.29100
Olympia, WA$69,090$72,270$33.22140
Columbia, SC$68,700$69,820$33.03280
Memphis, TN$68,660$66,230$33.01540
Amherst, MA$68,620$66,450$32.99150
Bozeman, MT$68,590$62,460$32.97140
Madison, WI$68,460$64,300$32.91270
Vallejo, CA$68,430$63,230$32.90170
Charlotte, NC$68,430$64,260$32.901,480
Durham, NC$68,430$66,090$32.90270
Myrtle Beach, SC$68,430$71,700$32.90250
Savannah, GA$68,320$63,700$32.84260
Spokane, WA$68,290$71,540$32.83240
Birmingham, AL$68,260$62,760$32.82240
Ithaca, NY$68,230$64,010$32.8080
Norwich, CT$68,170$62,220$32.77330
Austin, TX$68,120$62,400$32.751,710
Salisbury, MD$67,820$59,470$32.6150
Gainesville, GA$67,820$70,780$32.6140
Kansas City, MO$67,740$64,010$32.57890
Knoxville, TN$67,690$62,770$32.54470
Bellingham, WA$67,610$70,410$32.51140
Modesto, CA$67,600$61,330$32.50170
Las Vegas, NV$67,590$62,380$32.503,430
Minneapolis, MN$67,570$63,240$32.481,280
Greenville, SC$67,530$69,680$32.47360
Orlando, FL$67,370$61,390$32.392,360
Jackson, TN$67,370$69,280$32.3960
Lincoln, NE$67,330$59,680$32.37140
Augusta, GA$67,300$68,070$32.36230
Walla Walla, WA$67,140$68,120$32.2840
Worcester, MA$67,080$64,620$32.25560
Riverside, CA$67,030$64,480$32.232,770
Rochester, MN$67,020$62,520$32.2290
Dallas, TX$66,880$64,100$32.153,550
Omaha, NE$66,820$62,240$32.13330
St. Louis, MO$66,800$64,480$32.121,030
Brunswick, GA$66,680$61,600$32.0690
Coeur d'Alene, ID$66,680$65,030$32.0680
Hartford, CT$66,620$62,820$32.031,110
Bend, OR$66,550$62,110$32.00180
Pinehurst, NC$66,530$62,260$31.9990
Medford, OR$66,510$64,700$31.98120
Milwaukee, WI$66,360$61,580$31.91570
Greeley, CO$66,280$62,730$31.87100
Salem, OR$66,240$63,750$31.84210
Reno, NV$66,240$62,070$31.85350
Huntsville, AL$66,200$64,000$31.8390
Warner Robins, GA$66,160$67,530$31.8140
Allentown, PA$66,010$63,220$31.74570
Elmira, NY$65,960$63,410$31.7140
Alexandria, LA$65,820$47,670$31.6460
Longview, WA$65,610$63,080$31.5440
Merced, CA$65,520$57,500$31.5090
Springfield, MA$65,500$64,000$31.49300
Chattanooga, TN$65,470$63,690$31.48280
Grand Junction, CO$65,430$61,810$31.46110
Waterbury, CT$65,270$59,080$31.38270
Tuscaloosa, AL$65,240$65,900$31.3670
Cleveland, TN$65,210$62,180$31.3530
Richmond, VA$65,130$59,730$31.31540
Binghamton, NY$65,110$63,010$31.30110
Oxnard, CA$65,020$62,620$31.26480
Manchester, NH$65,020$63,260$31.26340
Yakima, WA$64,960$62,920$31.2380
Cleveland, OH$64,950$57,020$31.23930
Albuquerque, NM$64,930$60,040$31.22390
San Diego, CA$64,780$60,600$31.153,890
Sarasota, FL$64,770$60,180$31.14880
Boulder, CO$64,770$61,740$31.14280
Wausau, WI$64,670$65,910$31.0930
Ann Arbor, MI$64,590$60,910$31.05260
Detroit, MI$64,580$60,870$31.052,660
Chicago, IL$64,510$60,770$31.026,840
Las Cruces, NM$64,430$61,030$30.9840
Scranton, PA$64,410$60,750$30.97450
Columbus, OH$64,340$59,830$30.93750
Charlottesville, VA$64,240$61,990$30.89180
Watertown, NY$64,240$62,740$30.8940
Montgomery, AL$64,220$61,330$30.8790
Eugene, OR$64,060$62,960$30.80230
Harrisonburg, VA$64,050$63,270$30.8060
Kalamazoo, MI$64,040$63,050$30.79150
Raleigh, NC$63,990$61,190$30.77820
Florence, SC$63,860$67,550$30.7070
Baltimore, MD$63,640$59,290$30.601,740
Auburn, AL$63,620$68,830$30.5940
Pittsfield, MA$63,620$61,580$30.59180
Fort Collins, CO$63,590$61,090$30.57250
Columbus, GA$63,580$62,920$30.5790
Springfield, MO$63,560$67,460$30.5680
Sacramento, CA$63,500$57,870$30.531,630
Grand Rapids, MI$63,450$61,890$30.50610
Midland, MI$63,400$59,700$30.4830
Colorado Springs, CO$63,350$59,180$30.46490
San Luis Obispo, CA$63,330$59,400$30.45270
Greensboro, NC$63,330$59,160$30.45280
Kenosha, WI$63,260$59,530$30.4250
Dover, DE$63,050$59,990$30.3180
Fresno, CA$62,980$61,870$30.28490
Mobile, AL$62,980$58,130$30.28100
Billings, MT$62,930$60,200$30.26n/a
Clarksville, TN$62,870$60,880$30.23100
York, PA$62,800$56,860$30.19160
Sheboygan, WI$62,640$63,430$30.1240
Sumter, SC$62,490$65,020$30.0430
Daphne, AL$62,480$68,830$30.0490
Fargo, ND$62,400$54,390$30.0040
Lewiston, ME$62,390$56,440$30.0060
Santa Cruz, CA$62,350$59,190$29.98200
Utica, NY$62,310$61,090$29.96220
Niles, MI$62,300$58,570$29.95120
Corvallis, OR$62,230$58,240$29.9290
Asheville, NC$62,210$60,390$29.91290
Green Bay, WI$62,170$58,480$29.89100
Redding, CA$62,130$56,550$29.8770
Phoenix, AZ$62,120$61,400$29.862,870
Port St. Lucie, FL$62,060$56,130$29.84340
Blacksburg, VA$62,000$56,580$29.8170
Portland, ME$61,950$57,380$29.78780
Akron, OH$61,880$55,060$29.75220
Lancaster, PA$61,840$58,040$29.73280
Johnstown, PA$61,810$56,440$29.7270
Harrisburg, PA$61,760$59,690$29.69400
Flagstaff, AZ$61,720$59,380$29.67150
Oklahoma City, OK$61,360$63,160$29.50590
Hagerstown, MD$61,280$59,510$29.4640
Jacksonville, FL$61,250$55,060$29.451,230
Duluth, MN$61,210$56,790$29.43100
Tampa, FL$61,170$58,240$29.411,720
Rocky Mount, NC$61,160$57,920$29.4140
Mankato, MN$61,110$60,050$29.3830
Lexington, KY$61,090$56,790$29.37270
Eau Claire, WI$61,020$59,240$29.3460
Appleton, WI$61,010$62,200$29.3390
Wilmington, NC$61,010$58,120$29.33270
Virginia Beach, VA$61,000$57,730$29.33530
St. Cloud, MN$60,980$60,500$29.3240
Macon, GA$60,950$50,080$29.3060
Greenville, NC$60,790$60,400$29.2380
Athens, GA$60,760$50,330$29.2160
Jackson, MS$60,760$64,480$29.21120
Wildwood, FL$60,610$59,510$29.14130
Jackson, MI$60,520$59,510$29.1050
Bakersfield, CA$60,510$57,220$29.09290
Cincinnati, OH$60,450$56,620$29.061,060
Midland, TX$60,410$58,100$29.04100
Lansing, MI$60,350$59,280$29.02210
Racine, WI$60,340$59,640$29.0140
Stockton, CA$60,320$55,210$29.00320
Miami, FL$60,190$57,940$28.948,210
State College, PA$60,150$58,560$28.92120
Battle Creek, MI$60,130$59,540$28.9180
Beaumont, TX$60,090$58,440$28.89120
Fort Myers, FL$60,010$56,220$28.85660
Pueblo, CO$59,980$60,710$28.8470
Missoula, MT$59,900$57,170$28.8080
Hickory, NC$59,850$59,480$28.77110
Albany, GA$59,840$59,540$28.7740
Burlington, NC$59,710$55,530$28.7160
Roanoke, VA$59,700$57,350$28.70100
Oshkosh, WI$59,620$59,390$28.6650
Columbia, MO$59,310$52,870$28.5160
Fayetteville, AR$59,310$51,230$28.51220
Visalia, CA$59,260$57,600$28.49160
Crestview, FL$59,240$56,830$28.48380
Chambersburg, PA$59,230$59,950$28.4750
Traverse City, MI$59,220$57,000$28.47130
Salt Lake City, UT$59,170$60,030$28.45900
Bangor, ME$58,790$54,990$28.27120
Sebastian, FL$58,780$49,660$28.26200
Lexington Park, MD$58,750$58,820$28.2480
Ocala, FL$58,670$55,540$28.21120
Ames, IA$58,540$51,360$28.1460
Canton, OH$58,540$49,730$28.15110
Topeka, KS$58,420$55,030$28.0980
Toledo, OH$58,270$50,790$28.02220
Flint, MI$58,240$57,800$28.00110
Lubbock, TX$58,230$56,950$27.99100
Helena, MT$58,220$57,510$27.9940
Johnson City, TN$58,110$59,990$27.94100
Bloomington, IN$57,780$52,760$27.78100
Kingsport, TN$57,730$55,360$27.76100
Prescott Valley, AZ$57,730$57,990$27.76130
Muskegon, MI$57,460$56,580$27.6370
Fayetteville, NC$57,440$57,830$27.62100
Janesville, WI$57,420$60,890$27.6140
Lynchburg, VA$57,390$56,930$27.5990
Williamsport, PA$57,380$47,840$27.5980
Morristown, TN$57,340$61,290$27.5730
Bloomington, IL$57,290$55,700$27.54100
Logan, UT$57,290$51,220$27.5540
Deltona, FL$57,270$52,110$27.53330
Winchester, VA$57,250$54,110$27.5240
Lebanon, PA$57,240$52,870$27.5270
Chico, CA$57,210$55,990$27.51110
Anchorage, AK$57,110$49,190$27.46280
New Orleans, LA$57,110$46,400$27.46660
South Bend, IN$57,090$57,180$27.4580
Winston-Salem, NC$57,050$55,550$27.43240
Jonesboro, AR$56,950$52,970$27.3840
Tallahassee, FL$56,820$53,060$27.32220
Peoria, IL$56,750$47,800$27.28190
Tucson, AZ$56,750$49,990$27.28580
Gettysburg, PA$56,660$52,000$27.2450
Odessa, TX$56,640$49,820$27.2370
Yuba City, CA$56,590$44,340$27.2170
College Station, TX$56,540$57,920$27.19170
Punta Gorda, FL$56,380$54,340$27.11160
Des Moines, IA$56,320$51,210$27.08460
Wheeling, WV$56,230$54,400$27.0330
Springfield, IL$56,190$48,100$27.01100
San Antonio, TX$56,170$48,900$27.011,260
La Crosse, WI$56,160$58,300$27.0060
Ogden, UT$56,000$54,260$26.93170
Palm Bay, FL$55,960$50,220$26.90270
Lakeland, FL$55,900$50,720$26.87280
Dalton, GA$55,900$66,090$26.8840
Hanford, CA$55,840$45,800$26.8560
Louisville, KY$55,810$46,310$26.83750
Saginaw, MI$55,770$51,430$26.8180
Fairbanks, AK$55,690$55,130$26.7890
Gulfport, MS$55,630$51,240$26.75230
Huntington, WV$55,540$53,240$26.7080
Erie, PA$55,260$51,340$26.57150
Youngstown, OH$55,160$53,570$26.52120
Hattiesburg, MS$55,000$54,870$26.4440
Boise, ID$54,970$47,500$26.43270
Houston, TX$54,810$45,400$26.353,610
Bowling Green, KY$54,770$54,080$26.3350
Hot Springs, AR$54,720$58,240$26.3140
Dayton, OH$54,670$47,580$26.28210
Iowa City, IA$54,580$48,760$26.24160
Wichita, KS$54,480$49,440$26.19170
Yuma, AZ$54,300$48,590$26.1180
Tulsa, OK$54,180$54,930$26.05520
Sioux City, IA$54,130$49,590$26.0270
Idaho Falls, ID$53,990$48,670$25.9640
Killeen, TX$53,770$53,000$25.85110
Panama City, FL$53,770$47,540$25.85200
Altoona, PA$53,740$49,040$25.8460
Rockford, IL$53,670$47,740$25.80130
Provo, UT$53,670$57,540$25.80230
Manhattan, KS$53,570$48,640$25.7640
Texarkana, TX$53,490$50,270$25.7250
Pensacola, FL$53,430$48,710$25.69280
Indianapolis, IN$53,360$49,010$25.65960
Champaign, IL$53,240$48,040$25.60130
Davenport, IA$53,090$48,850$25.52180
Little Rock, AR$53,090$44,050$25.53230
Tyler, TX$52,950$52,050$25.4690
Fort Wayne, IN$52,920$49,490$25.44120
Bay City, MI$52,720$49,310$25.3540
Sebring, FL$52,690$52,760$25.3340
Dubuque, IA$52,600$47,690$25.2970
Gainesville, FL$52,400$47,380$25.19250
Lima, OH$52,320$45,270$25.1530
Longview, TX$52,050$46,870$25.0290
Owensboro, KY$52,010$47,620$25.0030
Waco, TX$51,750$42,660$24.88110
Kankakee, IL$51,650$47,160$24.8340
Corpus Christi, TX$51,320$46,150$24.67150
Cedar Rapids, IA$50,920$44,480$24.48170
Abilene, TX$50,880$47,840$24.4660
Amarillo, TX$50,810$45,370$24.4380
Waterloo, IA$50,740$44,610$24.4060
St. George, UT$50,450$46,610$24.26120
Shreveport, LA$50,340$43,240$24.20130
Baton Rouge, LA$50,300$45,570$24.18290
Slidell, LA$50,030$42,930$24.05100
San Angelo, TX$49,940$50,190$24.0150
Laredo, TX$49,820$49,670$23.9560
Paducah, KY$49,810$44,720$23.9540
Evansville, IN$49,720$46,480$23.9190
Sherman, TX$49,260$43,020$23.6840
El Paso, TX$49,190$43,020$23.65320
Brownsville, TX$49,040$47,850$23.58120
Sioux Falls, SD$48,710$50,150$23.42120
Lake Charles, LA$48,530$43,520$23.33110
Lawrence, KS$48,330$44,700$23.2480
Homosassa Springs, FL$48,170$41,680$23.1670
Lake Havasu City, AZ$47,620$38,470$22.8980
Rapid City, SD$47,120$48,350$22.6660
Sierra Vista, AZ$46,950$37,570$22.5740
Lafayette, IN$46,030$40,300$22.1360
McAllen, TX$45,900$39,140$22.07230
Hammond, LA$45,700$42,680$21.9750
Lafayette, LA$45,490$42,060$21.87180
Houma, LA$43,280$38,560$20.8190
Monroe, LA$43,250$39,990$20.8080
San Juan, PR$43,240$35,990$20.79550
Muncie, IN$42,840$37,920$20.6040
Aguadilla, PR$37,290$31,060$17.9350
Mayaguez, PR$36,960$26,440$17.7730
Ponce, PR$36,230$30,800$17.4250

Related jobs

Advertisement

Chefs and Head Cooks salary: questions

Where do chefs and head cooks make the most money?

In Kahului, HI, with an average of $91,380 a year, among the 340 metro areas we cover.

What is the average chefs and head cooks salary in the U.S.?

$67,002 a year across all U.S. metro areas, weighted by employment (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Where is chefs and head cooks pay the lowest?

Ponce, PR, at $36,230 a year on average. Lower pay often comes with lower prices: check the cost of living on each city page.

Sources and how to read this page

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.