Chefs and Head Cooks pay range in Boston
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,820 a year or less, while the top 10% make $100,740 or more. The middle half of chefs and head cooks in Boston earn between $56,790 and $85,000.
- $49K10th
- $57K25th
- $72KMedian
- $85K75th
- $101K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $75,450 | $6,288 | $36.27 |
| Median | $72,470 | $6,039 | $34.84 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $56,790 | $4,732 | $27.30 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $85,000 | $7,083 | $40.87 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Chefs and Head Cooks salary after taxes in Boston
On the average salary of $75,450, a single filer in Boston takes home about $58,457 a year, or $4,871 a month and $2,248 every two weeks. Taxes take 23% of gross pay.
The Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in NH | $61,909 | $5,159 |
| Working in MA | $58,457 | $4,871 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are not included.
Is Boston a good place for chefs and head cooks? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Boston area are 8% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 108.3), so the average $75,450 buys what about $69,689 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Boston ($66,620). A typical home costs $741,868, or 9.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Chefs and Head Cooks salary in other Massachusetts cities
Boston ranks 1st of 6 Massachusetts metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Boston$75,450
- Barnstable$73,060
- Amherst$68,620
- Worcester$67,080
- Springfield$65,500
- Pittsfield$63,620
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 Boston: questions
How much do chefs and head cooks make an hour in Boston?
$36.28 an hour on average, and $34.84 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level chefs and head cooks salary in Boston?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,820 a year and the 25th percentile is $56,790, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the chefs and head cooks take-home pay in Boston?
About $58,457 a year ($4,871 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $75,450. Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are not included.
Do chefs and head cooks earn more in Boston than elsewhere?
The average here is 13% more 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH (14460). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.6%.
- 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). Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.27, this job is 1.3 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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