SOC 35-1011 · Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA metro

Chefs and Head Cooks Salary in Oxnard, CA

The average salary for chefs and head cooks in Oxnard, California is $65,020 a year ($31.26 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $62,620: half of the 480 people in this job in the Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($67,002).

$65,020average per year

$31.26 / hourMedian $62,620Take-home ≈ $52,294

  • $36K10th
  • $43K25th
  • $63KMedian
  • $79K75th
  • $97K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

480people in this job
-3%vs U.S. metro average
#12 of 24California metros
111cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Chefs and Head Cooks pay range in Oxnard

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,500 a year or less, while the top 10% make $96,920 or more. The middle half of chefs and head cooks in Oxnard earn between $42,630 and $79,430.

  • $36K10th
  • $43K25th
  • $63KMedian
  • $79K75th
  • $97K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$65,020$5,418$31.26
Median$62,620$5,218$30.11
Entry level (25th percentile)$42,630$3,552$20.50
Experienced (75th percentile)$79,430$6,619$38.19

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Chefs and Head Cooks salary after taxes in Oxnard

On the average salary of $65,020, a single filer in Oxnard takes home about $52,294 a year, or $4,358 a month and $2,011 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

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Is Oxnard a good place for chefs and head cooks? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Oxnard area are 11% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 110.5), so the average $65,020 buys what about $58,824 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Oxnard ($52,510). A typical home costs $883,047, or 13.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $65,020 is worth in another city

Chefs and Head Cooks salary in other California cities

Oxnard ranks 12th of 24 California metro areas for this job; Napa pays the most ($83,750).

All Chefs and Head Cooks salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for chefs and head cooks

Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($91,380).

Chefs and Head Cooks salary by city

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Chefs and Head Cooks salary in Oxnard: questions

How much do chefs and head cooks make an hour in Oxnard?

$31.26 an hour on average, and $30.11 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level chefs and head cooks salary in Oxnard?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,500 a year and the 25th percentile is $42,630, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the chefs and head cooks take-home pay in Oxnard?

About $52,294 a year ($4,358 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $65,020. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do chefs and head cooks earn more in Oxnard than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($67,002).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-1011; area Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA (37100). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.1%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.16, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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