SOC 35-1011 · Wheeling, WV-OH metro

Chefs and Head Cooks Salary in Wheeling, WV

The average salary for chefs and head cooks in Wheeling, West Virginia is $56,230 a year ($27.03 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $54,400: half of the 30 people in this job in the Wheeling, WV-OH metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 16% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($67,002).

$56,230average per year

$27.03 / hourMedian $54,400Take-home ≈ $45,654

  • $36K10th
  • $44K25th
  • $54KMedian
  • $71K75th
  • $73K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

30people in this job
-16%vs U.S. metro average
#2 of 3West Virginia metros
88cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Chefs and Head Cooks pay range in Wheeling

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,990 a year or less, while the top 10% make $73,280 or more. The middle half of chefs and head cooks in Wheeling earn between $44,220 and $70,570.

  • $36K10th
  • $44K25th
  • $54KMedian
  • $71K75th
  • $73K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$56,230$4,686$27.03
Median$54,400$4,533$26.15
Entry level (25th percentile)$44,220$3,685$21.26
Experienced (75th percentile)$70,570$5,881$33.93

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

Chefs and Head Cooks salary after taxes in Wheeling

On the average salary of $56,230, a single filer in Wheeling takes home about $45,654 a year, or $3,804 a month and $1,756 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.

The Wheeling, WV-OH metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in OH$46,257$3,855
Working in WV$45,654$3,804

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

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

Prices in the Wheeling area are 12% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.3), so the average $56,230 buys what about $63,664 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Wheeling ($44,250). A typical home costs $141,852, or 2.5 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $56,230 is worth in another city

Chefs and Head Cooks salary in other West Virginia cities

Wheeling ranks 2nd of 3 West Virginia metro areas for this job; Morgantown pays the most ($71,340).

All Chefs and Head Cooks salaries in West Virginia

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 Wheeling: questions

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

$27.03 an hour on average, and $26.16 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,990 a year and the 25th percentile is $44,220, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $45,654 a year ($3,804 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $56,230.

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

The average here is 16% 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 Wheeling, WV-OH (48540). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.6%.
  • 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 state income tax (2026 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.44, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.44).

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