Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.
Base salary
$69,000
National baseline
Target bonus
$7,000
10.4% of base
Total target cash
$76,000
Base plus target bonus
Bonus percentiles:25th$4,00050th$7,00075th$11,500
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
Typical entry preparation: Associate's Degree and 1 to 3 years of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
Monitor sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations.
Instruct cooks or other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, or presentation of food.
Supervise or coordinate activities of cooks or workers engaged in food preparation.
Order or requisition food or other supplies needed to ensure efficient operation.
Inspect supplies, equipment, or work areas to ensure conformance to established standards.
Top skills:CoordinationMonitoringTime ManagementSpeakingSocial PerceptivenessManagement of Personnel Resources
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Chefs and Head Cooks pay by experience level
Entry level$39,000
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$50,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$64,500
Mid-career median pay
Senior$81,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$102,000
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+7.1%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
24,400
projected openings per year
Growing about as fast as average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Chefs and Head Cooks salary by industry
Food Services and Drinking Places
141,120 workers
$66,000
Restaurants and Other Eating Places
117,450 workers
$64,500
Special Food Services
21,910 workers
$73,500
Accommodation
19,340 workers
$80,000
Traveler Accommodation
19,060 workers
$80,000
Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries
11,920 workers
$81,500
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries
10,230 workers
$83,000
Nursing and Residential Care Facilities
6,650 workers
$64,500
Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly
5,190 workers
$65,000
Educational Services
2,540 workers
$65,000
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Who works in this role
About 516,000 people held this occupation in the United States in 2025.
Women
26.4%
White
58.9%
Black or African American
18.9%
Asian
15.1%
Hispanic or Latino
26.2%
Race categories and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity overlap, so shares can sum to more than 100 percent. Figures describe this occupation across the national workforce, not any single employer. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Annual Averages, Table 11, 2025.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $53,380 to $62,470.
+17.0% over this period
Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Entry10th percentile
$39,000
Early career25th percentile
$50,000
Median50th percentile
$64,500
Experienced75th percentile
$81,500
Top earners90th percentile
$102,000
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
The abilities employers and analysts most associate with this occupation.
CoordinationMonitoringTime ManagementSpeakingSocial PerceptivenessManagement of Personnel Resources
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
Monitor sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations.
Instruct cooks or other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, or presentation of food.
Supervise or coordinate activities of cooks or workers engaged in food preparation.
Order or requisition food or other supplies needed to ensure efficient operation.
Inspect supplies, equipment, or work areas to ensure conformance to established standards.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Non-exempt · Service, trades, or production work
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay under FLSA rules. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
2026$69,000
2027$71,500
2028$74,000
2029$76,500
2030$79,000
2031$82,000
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
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Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
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The median market pay for a Chefs and Head Cooks in the United States is about $69,000 per year in 2026, based on WePayFairly's market model.
What is the salary range for a Chefs and Head Cooks?
Most Chefs and Head Cooks pay falls between about $50,000 (25th percentile) and $81,500 (75th percentile), with top earners above $102,000.
What does a Chefs and Head Cooks do?
Core responsibilities include: monitor sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations; and instruct cooks or other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, or presentation of food.
Is pay for Chefs and Head Cooks roles growing?
Yes. The national median wage for this occupation moved from $53,380 in 2020 to $62,470 in 2025, a change of +17% in nominal dollars.
How this role compares
Chefs and Head Cooks pays 70% above the average across 18 roles in the Food Preparation and Serving job family (family average $40,500).
Similar-paying roles in Food Preparation and Serving
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