Chefs and Head Cooks pay range in El Paso
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,350 a year or less, while the top 10% make $74,130 or more. The middle half of chefs and head cooks in El Paso earn between $35,330 and $59,900.
- $29K10th
- $35K25th
- $43KMedian
- $60K75th
- $74K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $49,190 | $4,099 | $23.65 |
| Median | $43,020 | $3,585 | $20.68 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $35,330 | $2,944 | $16.99 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $59,900 | $4,992 | $28.80 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Chefs and Head Cooks salary after taxes in El Paso
On the average salary of $49,190, a single filer in El Paso takes home about $41,704 a year, or $3,475 a month and $1,604 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
Is El Paso a good place for chefs and head cooks? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the El Paso area are 10% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 89.9), so the average $49,190 buys what about $54,709 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in El Paso ($39,510). A typical home costs $232,910, or 4.7 years of this average salary before tax.
Chefs and Head Cooks salary in other Texas cities
El Paso ranks 21st of 23 Texas metro areas for this job; Austin pays the most ($68,120).
- Austin$68,120
- Dallas$66,880
- Midland$60,410
- Beaumont$60,090
- Lubbock$58,230
- Odessa$56,640
- College Station$56,540
- San Antonio$56,170
- Houston$54,810
- El Paso$49,190
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 El Paso: questions
How much do chefs and head cooks make an hour in El Paso?
$23.65 an hour on average, and $20.69 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level chefs and head cooks salary in El Paso?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,350 a year and the 25th percentile is $35,330, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the chefs and head cooks take-home pay in El Paso?
About $41,704 a year ($3,475 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $49,190. Texas has no state income tax.
Do chefs and head cooks earn more in El Paso than elsewhere?
The average here is 27% 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 El Paso, TX (21340). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 7.2%.
- 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 no state income tax.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.74, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.74).
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