Chefs and Head Cooks pay range in Olympia
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,100 a year or less, while the top 10% make $87,360 or more. The middle half of chefs and head cooks in Olympia earn between $53,930 and $76,010.
- $48K10th
- $54K25th
- $72KMedian
- $76K75th
- $87K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $69,090 | $5,758 | $33.22 |
| Median | $72,270 | $6,022 | $34.75 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $53,930 | $4,494 | $25.93 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $76,010 | $6,334 | $36.54 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Chefs and Head Cooks salary after taxes in Olympia
On the average salary of $69,090, a single filer in Olympia takes home about $57,435 a year, or $4,786 a month and $2,209 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
Is Olympia a good place for chefs and head cooks? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Olympia area are 4% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 103.7), so the average $69,090 buys what about $66,644 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Olympia ($61,960). A typical home costs $533,918, or 7.7 years of this average salary before tax.
Chefs and Head Cooks salary in other Washington cities
Olympia ranks 5th of 10 Washington metro areas for this job; Seattle pays the most ($76,820).
- Seattle$76,820
- Bremerton$71,230
- Wenatchee$70,890
- Kennewick$69,230
- Olympia$69,090
- Spokane$68,290
- Bellingham$67,610
- Walla Walla$67,140
- Longview$65,610
- Yakima$64,960
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 Olympia: questions
How much do chefs and head cooks make an hour in Olympia?
$33.22 an hour on average, and $34.74 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level chefs and head cooks salary in Olympia?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,100 a year and the 25th percentile is $53,930, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the chefs and head cooks take-home pay in Olympia?
About $57,435 a year ($4,786 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $69,090. Washington has no state income tax; Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
Do chefs and head cooks earn more in Olympia than elsewhere?
The average here is 3% 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 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA (36500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.2%.
- 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. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.86, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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