SOC 35-1011 · Laredo, TX metro

Chefs and Head Cooks Salary in Laredo, TX

The average salary for chefs and head cooks in Laredo, Texas is $49,820 a year ($23.95 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $49,670: half of the 60 people in this job in the Laredo, TX metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 25% less than the U.S. average for this job ($66,700).

$49,820average per year

$23.95 / hourMedian $49,670Take-home ≈ $42,210

  • $29K10th
  • $35K25th
  • $50KMedian
  • $59K75th
  • $73K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

60people in this job
-25%vs U.S. average
#19 of 23Texas metros
87cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Chefs and Head Cooks pay range in Laredo

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,140 a year or less, while the top 10% make $72,820 or more. The middle half of chefs and head cooks in Laredo earn between $35,060 and $59,020.

  • $29K10th
  • $35K25th
  • $50KMedian
  • $59K75th
  • $73K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$49,820$4,152$23.95
Median$49,670$4,139$23.88
Entry level (25th percentile)$35,060$2,922$16.86
Experienced (75th percentile)$59,020$4,918$28.38

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

Chefs and Head Cooks pay in Laredo vs. Texas and the U.S.

Chefs and head cooks in Laredo earn 16% less than the Texas average ($59,350) and 25% less than the U.S. average ($66,700). At the median the gap is -20% against the U.S. median of $62,470.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Laredo$49,820$49,670$29,140$72,82060
Texas$59,350$56,080$31,380$92,29013,270
United States$66,700$62,470$37,900$98,560200,040

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Chefs and Head Cooks salary after taxes in Laredo

On the average salary of $49,820, a single filer in Laredo takes home about $42,210 a year, or $3,518 a month and $1,623 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.

Texas paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Laredo area are 13% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 87.0), so the average $49,820 buys what about $57,293 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Laredo ($37,250). A typical home costs $218,391, or 4.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $49,820 is worth in another city

Chefs and Head Cooks salary in other Texas cities

Laredo ranks 19th of 23 Texas metro areas for this job; Austin pays the most ($68,120).

All Chefs and Head Cooks salaries in Texas

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 Laredo, TX.

Chefs and Head Cooks salary in Laredo: questions

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

$23.95 an hour on average, and $23.88 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,140 a year and the 25th percentile is $35,060, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $42,210 a year ($3,518 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $49,820. Texas has no state income tax.

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

The average here is 25% less than the U.S. average for this job ($66,700).

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 Laredo, TX (29700). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.9%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • 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 0.45, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.45).

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