Chefs and Head Cooks pay range in Waco
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,590 a year or less, while the top 10% make $77,770 or more. The middle half of chefs and head cooks in Waco earn between $39,480 and $60,450.
- $30K10th
- $39K25th
- $43KMedian
- $60K75th
- $78K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $51,750 | $4,312 | $24.88 |
| Median | $42,660 | $3,555 | $20.51 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $39,480 | $3,290 | $18.98 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $60,450 | $5,038 | $29.06 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Chefs and Head Cooks salary after taxes in Waco
On the average salary of $51,750, a single filer in Waco takes home about $43,761 a year, or $3,647 a month and $1,683 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 Waco a good place for chefs and head cooks? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Waco area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.5), so the average $51,750 buys what about $55,916 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Waco ($46,020). A typical home costs $256,772, or 5.0 years of this average salary before tax.
Chefs and Head Cooks salary in other Texas cities
Waco ranks 14th 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
- Waco$51,750
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 Waco: questions
How much do chefs and head cooks make an hour in Waco?
$24.88 an hour on average, and $20.51 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level chefs and head cooks salary in Waco?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,590 a year and the 25th percentile is $39,480, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the chefs and head cooks take-home pay in Waco?
About $43,761 a year ($3,647 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $51,750. Texas has no state income tax.
Do chefs and head cooks earn more in Waco than elsewhere?
The average here is 23% 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 Waco, TX (47380). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 7.9%.
- 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 0.68, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.68).
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