SOC 35-1011 · Sandusky, OH metro

Chefs and Head Cooks Salary in Sandusky, OH

The average salary for chefs and head cooks in Sandusky, Ohio is $72,320 a year ($34.77 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $67,190: half of the 60 people in this job in the Sandusky, OH metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 8% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($67,002).

$72,320average per year

$34.77 / hourMedian $67,190Take-home ≈ $57,256

  • $46K10th
  • $54K25th
  • $67KMedian
  • $84K75th
  • $106K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

60people in this job
+8%vs U.S. metro average
#1 of 10Ohio metros
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Chefs and Head Cooks pay range in Sandusky

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $45,760 a year or less, while the top 10% make $106,010 or more. The middle half of chefs and head cooks in Sandusky earn between $53,760 and $83,630.

  • $46K10th
  • $54K25th
  • $67KMedian
  • $84K75th
  • $106K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$72,320$6,027$34.77
Median$67,190$5,599$32.30
Entry level (25th percentile)$53,760$4,480$25.85
Experienced (75th percentile)$83,630$6,969$40.21

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

Chefs and Head Cooks salary after taxes in Sandusky

On the average salary of $72,320, a single filer in Sandusky takes home about $57,256 a year, or $4,771 a month and $2,202 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Includes Sandusky's local income tax (1.25%); the city income tax is that of the principal city (suburbs have their own rates) and school district income taxes are not included.

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

Prices in the Sandusky area are 11% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 89.3), so the average $72,320 buys what about $81,003 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Sandusky ($44,970). A typical home costs $238,887, or 3.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $72,320 is worth in another city

Chefs and Head Cooks salary in other Ohio cities

Sandusky ranks 1st of 10 Ohio metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Chefs and Head Cooks salaries in Ohio

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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Reviewed before it counts. Chefs and Head Cooks in Sandusky, OH.

Chefs and Head Cooks salary in Sandusky: questions

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

$34.77 an hour on average, and $32.30 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $45,760 a year and the 25th percentile is $53,760, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $57,256 a year ($4,771 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $72,320. Includes Sandusky's local income tax (1.25%); the city income tax is that of the principal city (suburbs have their own rates) and school district income taxes are not included.

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

The average here is 8% 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 Sandusky, OH (41780). 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). Includes Sandusky's local income tax (1.25%); the city income tax is that of the principal city (suburbs have their own rates) and school district income taxes are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.87, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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