SOC 35-1011 · Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC metro

Chefs and Head Cooks Salary in Pinehurst, NC

The average salary for chefs and head cooks in Pinehurst, North Carolina is $66,530 a year ($31.99 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $62,260: half of the 90 people in this job in the Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC 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).

$66,530average per year

$31.99 / hourMedian $62,260Take-home ≈ $53,488

  • $43K10th
  • $50K25th
  • $62KMedian
  • $73K75th
  • $96K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

90people in this job
-1%vs U.S. metro average
#3 of 13North Carolina metros
88cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Chefs and Head Cooks pay range in Pinehurst

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $43,480 a year or less, while the top 10% make $95,540 or more. The middle half of chefs and head cooks in Pinehurst earn between $49,870 and $73,130.

  • $43K10th
  • $50K25th
  • $62KMedian
  • $73K75th
  • $96K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$66,530$5,544$31.99
Median$62,260$5,188$29.93
Entry level (25th percentile)$49,870$4,156$23.98
Experienced (75th percentile)$73,130$6,094$35.16

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

Chefs and Head Cooks salary after taxes in Pinehurst

On the average salary of $66,530, a single filer in Pinehurst takes home about $53,488 a year, or $4,457 a month and $2,057 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 (2026 rules).

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

Prices in the Pinehurst area are 12% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.3), so the average $66,530 buys what about $75,315 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Pinehurst ($42,920). A typical home costs $415,936, or 6.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $66,530 is worth in another city

Chefs and Head Cooks salary in other North Carolina cities

Pinehurst ranks 3rd of 13 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Charlotte pays the most ($68,430).

All Chefs and Head Cooks salaries in North Carolina

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 Pinehurst: questions

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

$31.99 an hour on average, and $29.93 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $43,480 a year and the 25th percentile is $49,870, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $53,488 a year ($4,457 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $66,530.

Do chefs and head cooks earn more in Pinehurst 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 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC (38240). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.7%.
  • 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).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.61, this job is 1.6 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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