Chefs and Head Cooks pay range in Des Moines
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,450 a year or less, while the top 10% make $76,740 or more. The middle half of chefs and head cooks in Des Moines earn between $45,610 and $66,720.
- $37K10th
- $46K25th
- $51KMedian
- $67K75th
- $77K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $56,320 | $4,693 | $27.08 |
| Median | $51,210 | $4,268 | $24.62 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $45,610 | $3,801 | $21.93 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $66,720 | $5,560 | $32.08 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Chefs and Head Cooks salary after taxes in Des Moines
On the average salary of $56,320, a single filer in Des Moines takes home about $45,905 a year, or $3,825 a month and $1,766 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
Is Des Moines a good place for chefs and head cooks? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Des Moines area are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 91.7), so the average $56,320 buys what about $61,417 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Des Moines ($51,820). A typical home costs $296,070, or 5.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Chefs and Head Cooks salary in other Iowa cities
Des Moines ranks 2nd of 8 Iowa metro areas for this job; Ames pays the most ($58,540).
- Ames$58,540
- Des Moines$56,320
- Iowa City$54,580
- Sioux City$54,130
- Davenport$53,090
- Dubuque$52,600
- Cedar Rapids$50,920
- Waterloo$50,740
Highest-paying cities for chefs and head cooks
Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($91,380).
- Kahului, HI$91,380
- Napa, CA$83,750
- San Jose, CA$80,150
- Albany, NY$79,500
- Providence, RI$79,440
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Chefs and Head Cooks salary in Des Moines: questions
How much do chefs and head cooks make an hour in Des Moines?
$27.08 an hour on average, and $24.62 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level chefs and head cooks salary in Des Moines?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,450 a year and the 25th percentile is $45,610, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the chefs and head cooks take-home pay in Des Moines?
About $45,905 a year ($3,825 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $56,320. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
Do chefs and head cooks earn more in Des Moines than elsewhere?
The average here is 16% 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA (19780). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.0%.
- 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 (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.88, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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