SOC 35-1011 · Redding, CA metro

Chefs and Head Cooks Salary in Redding, CA

The average salary for chefs and head cooks in Redding, California is $62,130 a year ($29.87 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $56,550: half of the 70 people in this job in the Redding, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 7% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($67,002).

$62,130average per year

$29.87 / hourMedian $56,550Take-home ≈ $50,181

  • $36K10th
  • $46K25th
  • $57KMedian
  • $74K75th
  • $95K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

70people in this job
-7%vs U.S. metro average
#18 of 24California metros
101cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Chefs and Head Cooks pay range in Redding

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,150 a year or less, while the top 10% make $95,220 or more. The middle half of chefs and head cooks in Redding earn between $45,520 and $74,370.

  • $36K10th
  • $46K25th
  • $57KMedian
  • $74K75th
  • $95K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$62,130$5,178$29.87
Median$56,550$4,712$27.19
Entry level (25th percentile)$45,520$3,793$21.88
Experienced (75th percentile)$74,370$6,198$35.75

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

Chefs and Head Cooks salary after taxes in Redding

On the average salary of $62,130, a single filer in Redding takes home about $50,181 a year, or $4,182 a month and $1,930 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% 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 Redding a good place for chefs and head cooks? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Redding area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 100.7), so the average $62,130 buys what about $61,708 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Redding ($48,920). A typical home costs $375,604, or 6.0 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $62,130 is worth in another city

Chefs and Head Cooks salary in other California cities

Redding ranks 18th 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 Redding: questions

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

$29.87 an hour on average, and $27.19 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,150 a year and the 25th percentile is $45,520, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $50,181 a year ($4,182 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $62,130. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

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

The average here is 7% less than 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 Redding, CA (39820). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 9.4%.
  • 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 0.74, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.74).

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