Chefs and Head Cooks pay range in Seattle
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $50,810 a year or less, while the top 10% make $99,570 or more. The middle half of chefs and head cooks in Seattle earn between $61,860 and $81,630.
- $51K10th
- $62K25th
- $80KMedian
- $82K75th
- $100K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $76,820 | $6,402 | $36.93 |
| Median | $80,330 | $6,694 | $38.62 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $61,860 | $5,155 | $29.74 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $81,630 | $6,802 | $39.25 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Chefs and Head Cooks salary after taxes in Seattle
On the average salary of $76,820, a single filer in Seattle takes home about $62,873 a year, or $5,239 a month and $2,418 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% 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 Seattle a good place for chefs and head cooks? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Seattle area are 11% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 111.1), so the average $76,820 buys what about $69,124 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Seattle ($72,610). A typical home costs $750,279, or 9.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Chefs and Head Cooks salary in other Washington cities
Seattle ranks 1st of 10 Washington metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- 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 Seattle: questions
How much do chefs and head cooks make an hour in Seattle?
$36.93 an hour on average, and $38.62 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level chefs and head cooks salary in Seattle?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $50,810 a year and the 25th percentile is $61,860, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the chefs and head cooks take-home pay in Seattle?
About $62,873 a year ($5,239 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $76,820. 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 Seattle than elsewhere?
The average here is 15% 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (42660). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.9%.
- 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. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.39, this job is 1.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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