Chefs and Head Cooks Salary — Eugene, Oregon

The average Chefs and Head Cooks in Eugene, Oregon earns $64,060 a year.

$64,060 / year, mean
↓ 4.4% below national average 33th percentile in Oregon

Eugene pays below most of Oregon for this role, though still within a normal range for the state. That's close to the national average for chefs and head cooks — a fairly typical rate for this role. Cost of living here is close to the national average — not a major factor either way. This is a high-confidence estimate, based on a large sample of reported wages.

Percentile within Oregon

0th 50th 100th
Employment (this metro)
230
Estimate confidence
RSE 3.6%
Cost of living 102 #44 most expensive of 188 cities in this dataset 100 = U.S. average · Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
Crime index 2419 #180 safest of 188 cities in this dataset Per 100k residents · Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer
Median home value $459,366 #31 priciest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: zillow_real
Median household income $69,311 #112 highest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: Census Bureau ACS 5-year

Combining these four figures gives a fuller picture than salary alone: Eugene ranks #44 for cost of living and #31 for home prices among the 188 cities in this pilot dataset, which matters as much as the headline salary number when comparing where to live.

Napa $83,750 San Jose $80,150 Albany $79,500 Kingston $77,740 Seattle $76,820 Salinas $76,270 Buffalo $75,600 Atlantic City $75,460 Kiryas Joel $74,890 New York $74,840 Naples $74,320 San Francisco $73,910 Rochester $72,420 Santa Rosa $71,510 Morgantown $71,340 Philadelphia $71,310 Glens Falls $71,280 Bremerton $71,230 Wenatchee $70,890 Trenton $70,640 Vineland $70,560 Syracuse $70,520 Terre Haute $70,410 Reading $70,150 Santa Maria $69,830 Portland $69,430 Pittsburgh $69,290 Los Angeles $69,260 Kennewick $69,230 Olympia $69,090 Vallejo $68,430 Spokane $68,290 Ithaca $68,230 Austin $68,120 Salisbury $67,820 Bellingham $67,610 Modesto $67,600 Orlando $67,370 Walla Walla $67,140 Riverside $67,030 Dallas $66,880 Bend $66,550 Medford $66,510 Salem $66,240 Allentown $66,010 Elmira $65,960 Longview $65,610 Merced $65,520 Richmond $65,130 Binghamton $65,110 Oxnard $65,020 Yakima $64,960 San Diego $64,780 Sarasota $64,770 Ann Arbor $64,590 Detroit $64,580 Chicago $64,510 Scranton $64,410 Charlottesville $64,240 Watertown $64,240 Eugene $64,060 Harrisonburg $64,050 Kalamazoo $64,040 Baltimore $63,640 Sacramento $63,500 Grand Rapids $63,450 Midland $63,400 San Luis Obispo $63,330 Dover $63,050 Fresno $62,980 York $62,800 Santa Cruz $62,350 Utica $62,310 Niles $62,300 Corvallis $62,230 Redding $62,130 Port St. Lucie $62,060 Blacksburg $62,000 Lancaster $61,840 Johnstown $61,810 Harrisburg $61,760 Hagerstown $61,280 Jacksonville $61,250 Tampa $61,170 Lexington $61,090 Virginia Beach $61,000 Wildwood $60,610 Jackson $60,520 Bakersfield $60,510 Midland $60,410 Lansing $60,350 Stockton $60,320 Miami $60,190 State College $60,150 Battle Creek $60,130 Beaumont $60,090 Fort Myers $60,010 Roanoke $59,700 Visalia $59,260 Crestview $59,240 Chambersburg $59,230 Traverse City $59,220 Sebastian $58,780 Lexington Park $58,750 Ocala $58,670 Flint $58,240 Lubbock $58,230 Bloomington $57,780 Muskegon $57,460 Lynchburg $57,390 Williamsport $57,380 Bloomington $57,290 Deltona $57,270 Winchester $57,250 Lebanon $57,240 Chico $57,210 South Bend $57,090 Tallahassee $56,820 Peoria $56,750 Gettysburg $56,660 Odessa $56,640 Yuba City $56,590 College Station $56,540 Punta Gorda $56,380 Wheeling $56,230 Springfield $56,190 San Antonio $56,170 Palm Bay $55,960 Lakeland $55,900 Hanford $55,840 Louisville $55,810 Saginaw $55,770 Huntington $55,540 Erie $55,260 Houston $54,810 Bowling Green $54,770 Killeen $53,770 Panama City $53,770 Altoona $53,740 Rockford $53,670 Texarkana $53,490 Pensacola $53,430 Indianapolis $53,360 Champaign $53,240 Tyler $52,950 Fort Wayne $52,920 Bay City $52,720 Sebring $52,690 Gainesville $52,400 Longview $52,050 Owensboro $52,010 Waco $51,750 Kankakee $51,650 Corpus Christi $51,320 Abilene $50,880 Amarillo $50,810 San Angelo $49,940 Laredo $49,820 Paducah $49,810 Evansville $49,720 Sherman $49,260 El Paso $49,190 Brownsville $49,040 Homosassa Springs $48,170 Lafayette $46,030 McAllen $45,900 Muncie $42,840
CityMean salaryvs. Eugene
Abilene, Texas$50,880-20.6%
Albany, New York$79,500+24.1%
Allentown, Pennsylvania$66,010+3.0%
Altoona, Pennsylvania$53,740-16.1%
Amarillo, Texas$50,810-20.7%
Ann Arbor, Michigan$64,590+0.8%
Atlantic City, New Jersey$75,460+17.8%
Austin, Texas$68,120+6.3%
Bakersfield, California$60,510-5.5%
Baltimore, Maryland$63,640-0.7%
Battle Creek, Michigan$60,130-6.1%
Bay City, Michigan$52,720-17.7%
Beaumont, Texas$60,090-6.2%
Bellingham, Washington$67,610+5.5%
Bend, Oregon$66,550+3.9%
Binghamton, New York$65,110+1.6%
Blacksburg, Virginia$62,000-3.2%
Bloomington, Illinois$57,290-10.6%
Bloomington, Indiana$57,780-9.8%
Bowling Green, Kentucky$54,770-14.5%
Bremerton, Washington$71,230+11.2%
Brownsville, Texas$49,040-23.4%
Buffalo, New York$75,600+18.0%
Fort Myers, Florida$60,010-6.3%
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania$59,230-7.5%
Champaign, Illinois$53,240-16.9%
Charlottesville, Virginia$64,240+0.3%
Chicago, Illinois$64,510+0.7%
Chico, California$57,210-10.7%
College Station, Texas$56,540-11.7%
Corpus Christi, Texas$51,320-19.9%
Corvallis, Oregon$62,230-2.9%
Crestview, Florida$59,240-7.5%
Dallas, Texas$66,880+4.4%
Deltona, Florida$57,270-10.6%
Detroit, Michigan$64,580+0.8%
Dover, Delaware$63,050-1.6%
Elmira, New York$65,960+3.0%
El Paso, Texas$49,190-23.2%
Erie, Pennsylvania$55,260-13.7%
Evansville, Indiana$49,720-22.4%
Flint, Michigan$58,240-9.1%
Fort Wayne, Indiana$52,920-17.4%
Fresno, California$62,980-1.7%
Gainesville, Florida$52,400-18.2%
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania$56,660-11.6%
Glens Falls, New York$71,280+11.3%
Grand Rapids, Michigan$63,450-1.0%
Hagerstown, Maryland$61,280-4.3%
Hanford, California$55,840-12.8%
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania$61,760-3.6%
Harrisonburg, Virginia$64,050-0.0%
Homosassa Springs, Florida$48,170-24.8%
Houston, Texas$54,810-14.4%
Huntington, West Virginia$55,540-13.3%
Indianapolis, Indiana$53,360-16.7%
Ithaca, New York$68,230+6.5%
Jackson, Michigan$60,520-5.5%
Jacksonville, Florida$61,250-4.4%
Johnstown, Pennsylvania$61,810-3.5%
Kalamazoo, Michigan$64,040-0.0%
Kankakee, Illinois$51,650-19.4%
Kennewick, Washington$69,230+8.1%
Killeen, Texas$53,770-16.1%
Kingston, New York$77,740+21.4%
Kiryas Joel, New York$74,890+16.9%
Lafayette, Indiana$46,030-28.1%
Lakeland, Florida$55,900-12.7%
Lancaster, Pennsylvania$61,840-3.5%
Lansing, Michigan$60,350-5.8%
Laredo, Texas$49,820-22.2%
Lebanon, Pennsylvania$57,240-10.6%
Lexington, Kentucky$61,090-4.6%
Lexington Park, Maryland$58,750-8.3%
Longview, Texas$52,050-18.7%
Longview, Washington$65,610+2.4%
Los Angeles, California$69,260+8.1%
Louisville, Kentucky$55,810-12.9%
Lubbock, Texas$58,230-9.1%
Lynchburg, Virginia$57,390-10.4%
McAllen, Texas$45,900-28.3%
Medford, Oregon$66,510+3.8%
Merced, California$65,520+2.3%
Miami, Florida$60,190-6.0%
Midland, Michigan$63,400-1.0%
Midland, Texas$60,410-5.7%
Modesto, California$67,600+5.5%
Morgantown, West Virginia$71,340+11.4%
Muncie, Indiana$42,840-33.1%
Muskegon, Michigan$57,460-10.3%
Napa, California$83,750+30.7%
Naples, Florida$74,320+16.0%
New York, New York$74,840+16.8%
Niles, Michigan$62,300-2.7%
Sarasota, Florida$64,770+1.1%
Ocala, Florida$58,670-8.4%
Odessa, Texas$56,640-11.6%
Olympia, Washington$69,090+7.9%
Orlando, Florida$67,370+5.2%
Owensboro, Kentucky$52,010-18.8%
Oxnard, California$65,020+1.5%
Paducah, Kentucky$49,810-22.2%
Palm Bay, Florida$55,960-12.6%
Panama City, Florida$53,770-16.1%
Pensacola, Florida$53,430-16.6%
Peoria, Illinois$56,750-11.4%
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania$71,310+11.3%
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania$69,290+8.2%
Portland, Oregon$69,430+8.4%
Port St. Lucie, Florida$62,060-3.1%
Punta Gorda, Florida$56,380-12.0%
Reading, Pennsylvania$70,150+9.5%
Redding, California$62,130-3.0%
Richmond, Virginia$65,130+1.7%
Riverside, California$67,030+4.6%
Roanoke, Virginia$59,700-6.8%
Rochester, New York$72,420+13.1%
Rockford, Illinois$53,670-16.2%
Sacramento, California$63,500-0.9%
Saginaw, Michigan$55,770-12.9%
Salem, Oregon$66,240+3.4%
Salinas, California$76,270+19.1%
Salisbury, Maryland$67,820+5.9%
San Angelo, Texas$49,940-22.0%
San Antonio, Texas$56,170-12.3%
San Diego, California$64,780+1.1%
San Francisco, California$73,910+15.4%
San Jose, California$80,150+25.1%
San Luis Obispo, California$63,330-1.1%
Santa Cruz, California$62,350-2.7%
Santa Maria, California$69,830+9.0%
Santa Rosa, California$71,510+11.6%
Scranton, Pennsylvania$64,410+0.5%
Seattle, Washington$76,820+19.9%
Sebastian, Florida$58,780-8.2%
Sebring, Florida$52,690-17.7%
Sherman, Texas$49,260-23.1%
South Bend, Indiana$57,090-10.9%
Spokane, Washington$68,290+6.6%
Springfield, Illinois$56,190-12.3%
State College, Pennsylvania$60,150-6.1%
Stockton, California$60,320-5.8%
Syracuse, New York$70,520+10.1%
Tallahassee, Florida$56,820-11.3%
Tampa, Florida$61,170-4.5%
Terre Haute, Indiana$70,410+9.9%
Texarkana, Texas$53,490-16.5%
Traverse City, Michigan$59,220-7.6%
Trenton, New Jersey$70,640+10.3%
Tyler, Texas$52,950-17.3%
Utica, New York$62,310-2.7%
Vallejo, California$68,430+6.8%
Vineland, New Jersey$70,560+10.1%
Virginia Beach, Virginia$61,000-4.8%
Visalia, California$59,260-7.5%
Waco, Texas$51,750-19.2%
Walla Walla, Washington$67,140+4.8%
Watertown, New York$64,240+0.3%
Wenatchee, Washington$70,890+10.7%
Wheeling, West Virginia$56,230-12.2%
Wildwood, Florida$60,610-5.4%
Williamsport, Pennsylvania$57,380-10.4%
Winchester, Virginia$57,250-10.6%
Yakima, Washington$64,960+1.4%
York, Pennsylvania$62,800-2.0%
Yuba City, California$56,590-11.7%
Gross salary
64,060/yr
Estimated take-home
49,086/yr
Est. total withheld
23.4%

Single filer, federal + Oregon state tax + FICA, 2025 rates. Does not include state-specific payroll withholdings beyond income tax (see Data transparency). Not tax advice — verify with a professional for your specific situation.

View cost of living in this state All Chefs and Head Cooks salaries in Oregon → All Chefs and Head Cooks salaries →
Community reality check

Community reality check for Eugene

These notes add local color around Eugene, Oregon: comfort ranges, budget constraints and location trade-offs reported in public discussions.

Relocation gap2.0× calculator gap
City comparison anecdotal

Discussion highlights that calculators may imply roughly 2x gross income for comparable standard of living, while some employers offer only about 10% location premiums. Tech total compensation can be an exception, so the page should distinguish salary from total compensation.

2.0×calculator multiplier10%HCOL premium cited$200KAtlanta TC example$450KBay Area TC example

Anecdotal public-discussion signals, not official salary data, rent data or financial advice. Read this alongside the official figures on the page.

Data transparency

Sources used for this page

Official occupation and area metadata behind the visible salary, cost, housing and safety signals.

Occupation 35-1011 SOC code
Official area Eugene-Springfield, OR BLS metro/geographic area
Area code 21660 Stable geographic key
Reference year 2025 BLS OEWS
Cost: bea_realHousing: zillow_realCrime: latest availableNet-pay source: or_dor_verificado 2025
Metro also includes
Springfield
No additional caveats are attached to this row.
Methodology

How this page is built

The salary figure is the mean annual wage reported by the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program for this occupation and metro area. Percentile and national-average comparisons are calculated directly from the 188 cities currently in this dataset, not from a fixed external benchmark. Cost of living, crime and housing figures come from BEA, FBI and Zillow respectively — see "Data transparency" above for the exact sources and reference years used on this specific page.

Confidence: the RSE (relative standard error) shown under Overview indicates how reliable the salary estimate is for this metro — a lower RSE means a larger underlying sample.

On this page

Where this is

AK HI

Highlighted: Oregon

Population (metro area)
382,628