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Chefs and Head Cooks Salary by State
There were an estimated 182,320 chefs and head cooks working in the United States in May 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey. The typical (median) chef earned $60,990 a year, or $29.32 an hour, while the mean annual wage was $64,720. Pay spans a wide range even inside the same occupation: the lowest-paid 10% of chefs and head cooks earned $36,000 or less, the bottom quarter earned $47,710 or less, the top quarter earned at least $76,790, and the top 10% earned at least $96,030. Where a chef works matters almost as much as the job itself, as the state table below shows.
Where chefs and head cooks earn the most — and least
The highest median pay for chefs and head cooks is in Hawaii, at $81,200 a year — 33.1% higher than the national median of $60,990. Next are Rhode Island at $79,160 and North Dakota at $76,630. At the other end, Louisiana posts the lowest published median, $38,340, which is 37.1% lower than the national figure. That is a top-to-bottom spread of about 2.1 times between the highest- and lowest-paying states for the same occupation — a gap driven by local labor markets, licensing, employer mix, and cost of living rather than by differences in the job title itself.
Where the chef jobs are
Employment is concentrated in a handful of large states. California alone employs 26,500 chefs and head cooks, and the three largest states — California, Florida, and Texas — together account for 33% of all U.S. jobs in this occupation. Pay in the largest market, California, runs at a median of $66,780, 9.5% higher than the national median, so the biggest job market is also one of the better-paying ones. Smaller states can still be attractive: several low-population states post medians close to the national figure with far less competition for each opening.
Chef salary by state — full table
Median and mean annual wages for chefs and head cooks in every state where BLS publishes an estimate for May 2024, ranked by median pay. The 90th-percentile column shows what the top-earning tenth of chefs and head cooks in each state make. Follow a state link for that state's full wage tables, or open a detailed guide where one is available.
| State | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 830 | $39.04 | $81,200 | $92,690 | $129,990 |
| Rhode Island | 700 | $38.06 | $79,160 | $87,950 | $122,840 |
| North Dakota | 90 | $36.84 | $76,630 | $71,280 | $98,020 |
| District of Columbia | 1,940 | $35.58 | $74,000 | $79,090 | $109,370 |
| Massachusetts | 5,330 | $34.29 | $71,330 | $75,900 | $111,360 |
| Washington | 3,840 | $33.56 | $69,800 | $71,430 | $97,970 |
| New Jersey | 6,060 | $33.49 | $69,660 | $75,020 | $99,510 |
| California | 26,500 | $32.11 | $66,780 | $71,350 | $100,580 |
| Delaware | 490 | $31.39 | $65,290 | $67,330 | $86,140 |
| Wyoming | 330 | $31.15 | $64,790 | $69,510 | $93,920 |
| New York | 15,420 | $30.91 | $64,300 | $70,200 | $100,730 |
| Colorado | 4,180 | $30.76 | $63,990 | $67,380 | $90,480 |
| Vermont | 530 | $30.42 | $63,270 | $68,650 | $89,250 |
| Alabama | 1,280 | $30.13 | $62,670 | $63,800 | $84,860 |
| Connecticut | 3,600 | $30.07 | $62,540 | $71,630 | $112,660 |
| Maryland | 3,310 | $29.80 | $61,990 | $64,130 | $93,110 |
| Arizona | 3,260 | $29.79 | $61,950 | $65,930 | $96,440 |
| Illinois | 5,540 | $29.54 | $61,450 | $63,360 | $95,830 |
| South Carolina | 2,000 | $29.47 | $61,290 | $64,050 | $88,430 |
| West Virginia | 310 | $29.22 | $60,790 | $65,150 | $105,560 |
| Oregon | 3,640 | $28.98 | $60,270 | $63,720 | $87,820 |
| Wisconsin | 2,130 | $28.93 | $60,170 | $62,300 | $90,560 |
| North Carolina | 4,100 | $28.75 | $59,810 | $66,330 | $98,580 |
| Virginia | 3,900 | $28.74 | $59,780 | $62,120 | $81,730 |
| Pennsylvania | 7,060 | $28.67 | $59,630 | $62,500 | $90,210 |
| Florida | 17,170 | $28.65 | $59,580 | $62,540 | $98,960 |
| Tennessee | 2,720 | $28.59 | $59,470 | $62,210 | $87,010 |
| Minnesota | 1,630 | $28.57 | $59,430 | $63,800 | $91,820 |
| Missouri | 1,590 | $28.47 | $59,220 | $62,180 | $90,960 |
| Nevada | 4,560 | $28.17 | $58,590 | $62,140 | $92,160 |
| Michigan | 5,310 | $28.09 | $58,430 | $59,170 | $77,030 |
| New Hampshire | 1,260 | $28.08 | $58,400 | $61,370 | $90,170 |
| Nebraska | 600 | $28.07 | $58,390 | $66,690 | $111,300 |
| Kansas | 980 | $28.02 | $58,290 | $60,920 | $87,960 |
| Alaska | 780 | $27.70 | $57,610 | $60,810 | $89,180 |
| Indiana | 1,140 | $27.47 | $57,140 | $60,190 | $90,060 |
| Ohio | 4,040 | $27.26 | $56,700 | $60,700 | $97,920 |
| Maine | 1,290 | $26.85 | $55,860 | $57,550 | $76,800 |
| Montana | 500 | $26.76 | $55,650 | $58,090 | $78,990 |
| New Mexico | 400 | $26.52 | $55,170 | $60,750 | $89,030 |
| Oklahoma | 1,210 | $25.63 | $53,310 | $51,420 | $78,090 |
| Georgia | 4,390 | $24.82 | $51,630 | $57,970 | $86,420 |
| Texas | 16,550 | $24.54 | $51,050 | $55,130 | $86,210 |
| Idaho | 420 | $24.04 | $50,010 | $54,940 | $79,740 |
| Arkansas | 950 | $23.59 | $49,060 | $56,450 | $85,380 |
| South Dakota | 290 | $22.36 | $46,510 | $47,900 | $55,390 |
| Mississippi | 950 | $21.63 | $44,990 | $50,150 | $80,420 |
| Utah | 1,880 | $21.39 | $44,490 | $50,400 | $80,010 |
| Kentucky | 1,860 | $21.26 | $44,220 | $51,800 | $87,550 |
| Iowa | 1,500 | $21.00 | $43,690 | $48,630 | $71,460 |
| Louisiana | 1,860 | $18.43 | $38,340 | $44,940 | $77,330 |
Chef wages in U.S. territories
| Area | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virgin Islands | 280 | $29.77 | $61,930 | $67,990 | $100,860 |
| Guam | 190 | $18.94 | $39,390 | $44,800 | $75,390 |
| Puerto Rico | 630 | $17.40 | $36,190 | $35,780 | $50,400 |
How to read these numbers
The median is the middle wage: half of chefs and head cooks earn more and half earn less. The mean is pulled up by the highest earners, which is why the mean of $64,720 sits above the median of $60,990 for this occupation. OEWS wages are gross pay before taxes and benefits, and BLS converts hourly rates to annual figures on a 2,080-hour, year-round full-time basis; part-time and seasonal workers' actual annual earnings can be lower. Figures marked with a plus sign are at or above the BLS reporting cap of $239,200 a year ($115.00 an hour).
Chef salary FAQ
What is the average chef salary?
BLS put the mean annual wage for chefs and head cooks at $64,720 in May 2024, with a median of $60,990 ($29.32 an hour) across 182,320 U.S. jobs.
Which state pays chefs and head cooks the most?
Hawaii has the highest median pay for chefs and head cooks, at $81,200 a year in May 2024 — 33.1% higher than the national median of $60,990.
Which state pays chefs and head cooks the least?
Among states where BLS publishes an estimate, Louisiana has the lowest median for chefs and head cooks, at $38,340 a year, 37.1% lower than the national median.
How many chefs and head cooks are there in the United States?
BLS estimated 182,320 chefs and head cooks jobs in May 2024. The largest state market is California, with 26,500 jobs.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Figures checked October 2026.