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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

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)
101,490 2.6 % $ 28.24 $ 58,740 1.5 %

Percentile wage estimates for Chefs and Head Cooks:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 14.57 $ 18.95 $ 25.66 $ 34.30 $ 43.65
Annual Wage (2) $ 30,300 $ 39,420 $ 53,380 $ 71,350 $ 90,790

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 50,210 0.56 $ 27.03 $ 56,230
Special Food Services 12,000 2.15 $ 29.87 $ 62,120
Traveler Accommodation 10,870 0.72 $ 31.22 $ 64,940
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries 5,440 0.54 $ 31.29 $ 65,070
Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly 2,960 0.31 $ 26.02 $ 54,130

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 12,000 2.15 $ 29.87 $ 62,120
Rooming and Boarding Houses 80 0.79 $ 22.24 $ 46,260
Traveler Accommodation 10,870 0.72 $ 31.22 $ 64,940
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water 80 0.68 $ 29.90 $ 62,200
Restaurants and Other Eating Places 50,210 0.56 $ 27.03 $ 56,230

Top paying industries for Chefs and Head Cooks:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation 60 0.16 $ 42.74 $ 88,890
Office Administrative Services (8) (8) $ 36.90 $ 76,750
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 1,520 0.07 $ 35.87 $ 74,610
Insurance Carriers 60 (7) $ 35.65 $ 74,160
Land Subdivision 40 0.12 $ 34.03 $ 70,790

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.





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 15,960 0.97 1.33 $ 32.41 $ 67,400
New York 12,930 1.49 2.04 $ 29.83 $ 62,050
Florida 10,580 1.25 1.72 $ 26.60 $ 55,330
Texas 4,900 0.40 0.56 $ 27.53 $ 57,260
Massachusetts 3,250 0.97 1.33 $ 31.66 $ 65,850




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 730 2.60 3.56 $ 22.16 $ 46,100
Nevada 2,150 1.72 2.36 $ 27.60 $ 57,410
New York 12,930 1.49 2.04 $ 29.83 $ 62,050
Alaska 420 1.41 1.93 $ 25.29 $ 52,590
District of Columbia 930 1.36 1.86 $ 31.40 $ 65,320




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)
New Jersey 2,380 0.63 0.86 $ 40.24 $ 83,700
Hawaii 610 1.06 1.45 $ 35.65 $ 74,150
Rhode Island 230 0.51 0.70 $ 35.55 $ 73,950
California 15,960 0.97 1.33 $ 32.41 $ 67,400
Massachusetts 3,250 0.97 1.33 $ 31.66 $ 65,850





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 12,350 1.40 1.92 $ 32.33 $ 67,250
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 5,380 0.92 1.27 $ 28.46 $ 59,190
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 3,680 1.58 2.16 $ 34.35 $ 71,450
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 2,820 1.12 1.54 $ 26.82 $ 55,780
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 2,600 0.60 0.82 $ 29.79 $ 61,960
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 2,550 0.84 1.16 $ 29.71 $ 61,800
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 2,550 0.98 1.34 $ 32.11 $ 66,780
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 1,960 1.65 2.26 $ 27.28 $ 56,750
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 1,760 1.95 2.68 $ 27.90 $ 58,040
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,710 0.48 0.65 $ 28.12 $ 58,500




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)
Napa, CA 230 3.36 4.61 $ 35.85 $ 74,570
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL 810 3.09 4.24 $ 35.52 $ 73,890
The Villages, FL 90 2.99 4.10 $ 26.47 $ 55,050
Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL 430 2.98 4.08 $ 32.48 $ 67,550
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC 200 2.71 3.71 $ 23.37 $ 48,620
Medford, OR 190 2.32 3.17 $ 24.77 $ 51,520
Charleston-North Charleston, SC 780 2.27 3.11 $ 20.24 $ 42,100
Kingston, NY 120 2.22 3.04 $ 29.19 $ 60,720
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 150 2.19 3.00 $ 43.67 $ 90,840
Glens Falls, NY 100 2.17 2.97 $ 24.26 $ 50,470