Chefs and Head Cooks Salary: $73,379 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 182,320 chefs and head cooks nationally earn a mean of $73,379. Projections imply about 5.3% annual growth; much hiring sits in accommodation and food services.
Key Statistics
Chefs and Head Cooks: what the data shows
Common questions about chefs and head cooks careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a chefs and head cooks?
Chefs and Head Cooks is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 35-1011.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 182,320 workers.
What does a chefs and head cooks do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Developing and Building Teams, Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work, Coaching and Developing Others, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Training and Teaching Others, Scheduling Work and Activities, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a chefs and head cooks make?
BLS national median annual wage: $60,990 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $73,379 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $46,794 |
| 25th percentile | $56,996 |
| Median (50th) | $68,679 |
| 75th percentile | $82,532 |
| 90th percentile | $103,440 |
What education do you need?
For Chefs and Head Cooks, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Coordination, Monitoring, Time Management, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and knowledge areas including Food Production, Customer and Personal Service, Production and Processing, Administration and Management. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is chefs and head cooks in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 5.3% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 29.7%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 68.1%.
Current U.S. headcount: 182,320.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do chefs and head cookss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 182,320 | 18.0% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 175,480 | 17.3% |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 142,030 | 14.0% |
| Food Services and Drinking Places | 123,250 | 12.2% |
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places | 100,320 | 9.9% |
| Full-Service Restaurants | 87,040 | 8.6% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Chefs and Head Cooks in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Managers | 818,620 | $161,700 |
| Accountants and Auditors | 1,448,290 | $81,680 |
| Tax Preparers | 73,570 | $50,560 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 1,455,770 | $49,210 |
| New Accounts Clerks | 38,030 | $46,610 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | 219,010 | $84,130 |
| Personal Financial Advisors | 270,480 | $102,140 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Chefs and Head Cooks workforce.
Employment Over Time
182,320 Workforce in 2023
The Chefs and Head Cooks workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Chefs and Head Cooks.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$73,379 Average Wage
In 2023, Chefs and Head Cooks earned an average of $73,379.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Chefs and Head Cooks.
Salary distribution for Chefs and Head Cooks.
Employment Growth Projections
5.3% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
136,981 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 29.7%
177,622 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 68.1%
This occupation is projected to grow at 5.3% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Chefs and Head Cooks.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Chefs and Head Cooks and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Chefs and Head Cooks employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Chefs and Head Cooks.
Wage Trends by Industry
2.4% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Chefs and Head Cooks.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Chefs and Head Cooks.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 26,500 employees, $71,350 avg wage
- FL: 17,170 employees, $62,540 avg wage
- TX: 16,550 employees, $55,130 avg wage
- NY: 15,420 employees, $70,200 avg wage
- PA: 7,060 employees, $62,500 avg wage
- NJ: 6,060 employees, $75,020 avg wage
- IL: 5,540 employees, $63,360 avg wage
- MA: 5,330 employees, $75,900 avg wage
- MI: 5,310 employees, $59,170 avg wage
- NV: 4,560 employees, $62,140 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Chefs and Head Cooks.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 15,560 employees, $72,440 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 10,250 employees, $70,770 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 6,690 employees, $59,000 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 4,660 employees, $62,030 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 4,490 employees, $75,650 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 4,480 employees, $72,410 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 4,470 employees, $65,290 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 4,290 employees, $54,730 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 4,020 employees, $77,100 avg wage
- Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV: 3,990 employees, $62,360 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Chefs and Head Cooks.
Diversity
Demographic information on Chefs and Head Cooks in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Chefs and Head Cooks in 2023 was 182,320 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Chefs and Head Cooks.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Chefs and Head Cooks.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Chefs and Head Cooks.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Chefs and Head Cooks in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Chefs and Head Cooks.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Chefs and Head Cooks workers.
Education level distribution for Chefs and Head Cooks.
Skills
Chefs and Head Cooks need many skills, but most especially Coordination, Monitoring, Time Management, Speaking, Critical Thinking.
Required skills for Chefs and Head Cooks.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Chefs and Head Cooks.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Chefs and Head Cooks include Food Production, Customer and Personal Service, Production and Processing, Administration and Management, Personnel and Human Resources.
Knowledge areas required for Chefs and Head Cooks.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Chefs and Head Cooks include Problem Sensitivity, Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Deductive Reasoning, Speech Clarity.
Required abilities for Chefs and Head Cooks.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Chefs and Head Cooks.
Daily Activities
Chefs and Head Cooks spend their time on activities such as Developing and Building Teams, Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work, Coaching and Developing Others, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Training and Teaching Others.
Most important work activities for Chefs and Head Cooks.
About
Chefs and Head Cooks
The average yearly wage for Chefs and Head Cooks was $73,379 in 2023.
SOC Code
35-1011 - Chefs and Head Cooks
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Chefs and Head Cooks reports an average salary of $73,379.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 182,320 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 5.3%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.