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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

35-1011 Chefs and Head Cooks

Direct and may participate in the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups, fish, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods. May plan and price menu items, order supplies, and keep records and accounts.


National estimates for Chefs and Head Cooks
Industry profile for Chefs and Head Cooks
Geographic profile for Chefs and Head Cooks

National estimates for Chefs and Head Cooks:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Chefs and Head Cooks:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
160,190 2.6 % $ 28.95 $ 60,210 0.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for Chefs and Head Cooks:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 16.23 $ 20.65 $ 27.17 $ 35.01 $ 44.00
Annual Wage (2) $ 33,750 $ 42,950 $ 56,520 $ 72,820 $ 91,520


Industry profile for Chefs and Head Cooks:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Chefs and Head Cooks are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Chefs and Head Cooks, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Chefs and Head Cooks:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Restaurants and Other Eating Places 86,880 0.83 $ 26.99 $ 56,130
Special Food Services 18,690 2.93 $ 31.51 $ 65,530
Traveler Accommodation 15,350 0.91 $ 33.38 $ 69,440
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries 8,890 0.71 $ 35.28 $ 73,370
Elementary and Secondary Schools 4,310 0.05 $ 21.01 $ 43,690

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Chefs and Head Cooks:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Special Food Services 18,690 2.93 $ 31.51 $ 65,530
Traveler Accommodation 15,350 0.91 $ 33.38 $ 69,440
Restaurants and Other Eating Places 86,880 0.83 $ 26.99 $ 56,130
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries 8,890 0.71 $ 35.28 $ 73,370
Rooming and Boarding Houses 70 0.70 $ 28.36 $ 58,990

Top paying industries for Chefs and Head Cooks:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities 240 0.02 $ 60.47 $ 125,770
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing 40 0.01 $ 44.18 $ 91,900
Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing 30 0.02 $ 41.51 $ 86,340
Management of Companies and Enterprises 1,070 0.04 $ 40.52 $ 84,280
Other Support Services 60 0.02 $ 40.42 $ 84,070


Geographic profile for Chefs and Head Cooks:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Chefs and Head Cooks are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Chefs and Head Cooks, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of chefs and head cooks by state, May 2022


States with the highest employment level in Chefs and Head Cooks:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 19,790 1.12 1.04 $ 33.17 $ 69,000
Texas 17,000 1.31 1.21 $ 23.27 $ 48,400
Florida 14,270 1.55 1.43 $ 28.30 $ 58,860
New York 10,190 1.12 1.03 $ 36.51 $ 75,940
Illinois 6,760 1.15 1.06 $ 30.22 $ 62,850


Map of location quotient of chefs and head cooks by state, May 2022


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Chefs and Head Cooks:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Vermont 1,070 3.65 3.37 $ 26.28 $ 54,670
Nevada 4,330 3.07 2.83 $ 26.89 $ 55,940
Connecticut 4,530 2.77 2.56 $ 28.58 $ 59,440
Alaska 760 2.47 2.28 $ 28.45 $ 59,170
District of Columbia 1,570 2.28 2.11 $ 34.11 $ 70,950


Map of annual mean wages of chefs and head cooks by state, May 2022


Top paying states for Chefs and Head Cooks:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii 1,020 1.71 1.58 $ 40.19 $ 83,600
Rhode Island 620 1.29 1.19 $ 38.97 $ 81,070
New York 10,190 1.12 1.03 $ 36.51 $ 75,940
Massachusetts 4,540 1.27 1.17 $ 34.99 $ 72,780
District of Columbia 1,570 2.28 2.11 $ 34.11 $ 70,950



Map of employment of chefs and head cooks by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Chefs and Head Cooks:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 12,300 1.34 1.24 $ 36.41 $ 75,730
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 6,000 0.98 0.91 $ 34.30 $ 71,350
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 5,580 2.13 1.96 $ 28.65 $ 59,600
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 5,510 1.25 1.15 $ 31.24 $ 64,990
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 4,800 1.26 1.16 $ 24.44 $ 50,820
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 4,350 1.82 1.68 $ 34.41 $ 71,580
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 4,300 1.42 1.31 $ 31.19 $ 64,880
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 3,840 1.26 1.16 $ 24.64 $ 51,260
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 3,730 3.64 3.36 $ 26.86 $ 55,860
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 3,150 1.17 1.08 $ 36.20 $ 75,290


Map of location quotient of chefs and head cooks by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Chefs and Head Cooks:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 1,490 3.79 3.50 $ 30.25 $ 62,920
Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL 580 3.66 3.38 $ 31.93 $ 66,410
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 3,730 3.64 3.36 $ 26.86 $ 55,860
Danbury, CT 270 3.63 3.35 $ 26.36 $ 54,830
Burlington-South Burlington, VT 390 3.29 3.04 $ 25.82 $ 53,710
Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI 390 3.26 3.01 $ 29.39 $ 61,120
The Villages, FL 110 3.10 2.86 $ 29.32 $ 60,980
Ocean City, NJ 120 3.03 2.80 $ 34.01 $ 70,730
Napa, CA 220 2.97 2.74 $ 35.69 $ 74,230
San Angelo, TX 130 2.64 2.44 $ 19.13 $ 39,790


Map of annual mean wages of chefs and head cooks by area, May 2022


Top paying metropolitan areas for Chefs and Head Cooks:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 160 2.23 2.06 $ 45.40 $ 94,430
Urban Honolulu, HI 660 1.56 1.44 $ 39.29 $ 81,730
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 760 1.36 1.25 $ 37.20 $ 77,370
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 12,300 1.34 1.24 $ 36.41 $ 75,730
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 3,150 1.17 1.08 $ 36.20 $ 75,290
Napa, CA 220 2.97 2.74 $ 35.69 $ 74,230
Greeley, CO 80 0.74 0.68 $ 34.96 $ 72,710
Barnstable Town, MA 240 2.44 2.26 $ 34.87 $ 72,520
Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ 40 0.61 0.57 $ 34.84 $ 72,470
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 360 1.77 1.64 $ 34.59 $ 71,950

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Chefs and Head Cooks:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 450 2.40 2.22 $ 26.58 $ 55,280
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 420 4.27 3.94 $ 26.33 $ 54,760
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 390 3.19 2.95 $ 32.41 $ 67,420
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 320 1.23 1.14 $ 23.05 $ 47,940
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 300 3.00 2.77 $ 27.58 $ 57,370

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Chefs and Head Cooks:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 420 4.27 3.94 $ 26.33 $ 54,760
Connecticut nonmetropolitan area 130 4.03 3.72 $ 26.71 $ 55,550
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 260 3.78 3.49 $ 26.50 $ 55,110
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 390 3.19 2.95 $ 32.41 $ 67,420
Northern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 110 3.05 2.82 $ 30.05 $ 62,490

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Chefs and Head Cooks:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 190 1.97 1.82 $ 38.88 $ 80,860
East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area 60 0.95 0.88 $ 33.90 $ 70,510
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 110 1.10 1.02 $ 32.63 $ 67,870
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 390 3.19 2.95 $ 32.41 $ 67,420
Southwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 180 1.74 1.61 $ 31.99 $ 66,540


About May 2022 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023