Chefs and Head Cook salary
62,470 USD
Median annual wage · 2025 · BLS · 35-1011
Half of all chefs and head cooks in the United States earn more than 62,470 USD a year, half earn less.
Rank by pay395of 825 occupations
Spread, quartile to quartile1.63×48,440 USD – 78,750 USD
| Measure | All |
|---|---|
| Lower quartile | 48,440 USD |
| Median | 62,470 USD |
| Mean | 66,700 USD |
| Upper quartile | 78,750 USD |
About the figure
Occupation code 35-1011 in SOC 2018, the US occupation classification. Covers wage and salary workers, excluding the self-employed. Published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not estimated by us. The figure is an annual wage, not a monthly one.
Occupations that pay about the same
- Riggers 62,640 USD
- Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters 62,620 USD
- Athletic Trainers 62,520 USD
- Plant and System Operators, All Other 62,470 USD
- Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents 62,370 USD
- Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other 62,280 USD
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Figures are for 2025; snapshot taken 2026-08-15. www.bls.gov