SOC 35-1011 · Walla Walla, WA metro

Chefs and Head Cooks Salary in Walla Walla, WA

The average salary for chefs and head cooks in Walla Walla, Washington is $67,140 a year ($32.28 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $68,120: half of the 40 people in this job in the Walla Walla, WA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($67,002).

$67,140average per year

$32.28 / hourMedian $68,120Take-home ≈ $56,063

  • $46K10th
  • $51K25th
  • $68KMedian
  • $73K75th
  • $75K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

40people in this job
+0%vs U.S. metro average
#8 of 10Washington metros
99cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Chefs and Head Cooks pay range in Walla Walla

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $45,820 a year or less, while the top 10% make $75,310 or more. The middle half of chefs and head cooks in Walla Walla earn between $51,380 and $73,260.

  • $46K10th
  • $51K25th
  • $68KMedian
  • $73K75th
  • $75K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$67,140$5,595$32.28
Median$68,120$5,677$32.75
Entry level (25th percentile)$51,380$4,282$24.70
Experienced (75th percentile)$73,260$6,105$35.22

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

Chefs and Head Cooks salary after taxes in Walla Walla

On the average salary of $67,140, a single filer in Walla Walla takes home about $56,063 a year, or $4,672 a month and $2,156 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% 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.

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

Prices in the Walla Walla area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 98.5), so the average $67,140 buys what about $68,149 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Walla Walla ($53,100). A typical home costs $419,484, or 6.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $67,140 is worth in another city

Chefs and Head Cooks salary in other Washington cities

Walla Walla ranks 8th of 10 Washington metro areas for this job; Seattle pays the most ($76,820).

All Chefs and Head Cooks salaries in Washington

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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Chefs and Head Cooks salary in Walla Walla: questions

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

$32.28 an hour on average, and $32.75 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $45,820 a year and the 25th percentile is $51,380, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $56,063 a year ($4,672 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $67,140. 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 Walla Walla than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as 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 Walla Walla, WA (47460). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.3%.
  • 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 1.08, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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