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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

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)
129,810 2.7 % $ 27.37 $ 56,920 1.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for Chefs and Head Cooks:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 14.86 $ 18.81 $ 24.11 $ 31.41 $ 40.66
Annual Wage (2) $ 30,910 $ 39,130 $ 50,160 $ 65,340 $ 84,570

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 71,590 0.76 $ 25.44 $ 52,920
Special Food Services 15,120 3.19 $ 29.79 $ 61,970
Traveler Accommodation 10,000 0.73 $ 32.34 $ 67,260
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries 8,140 0.73 $ 33.03 $ 68,700
Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly 3,120 0.35 $ 26.31 $ 54,720

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 15,120 3.19 $ 29.79 $ 61,970
Restaurants and Other Eating Places 71,590 0.76 $ 25.44 $ 52,920
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries 8,140 0.73 $ 33.03 $ 68,700
Traveler Accommodation 10,000 0.73 $ 32.34 $ 67,260
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water 80 0.71 $ 30.46 $ 63,350

Top paying industries for Chefs and Head Cooks:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) 90 0.01 $ 41.72 $ 86,770
Office Administrative Services 410 0.08 $ 40.65 $ 84,560
Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing 60 0.03 $ 38.12 $ 79,300
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 1,520 0.07 $ 36.35 $ 75,610
Scientific Research and Development Services 50 0.01 $ 35.99 $ 74,850

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 2021


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 19,760 1.20 1.30 $ 29.17 $ 60,670
Florida 11,260 1.31 1.42 $ 28.29 $ 58,850
Texas 10,450 0.85 0.93 $ 22.24 $ 46,260
New York 10,320 1.19 1.29 $ 30.86 $ 64,190
Illinois 5,280 0.94 1.02 $ 22.74 $ 47,300


Map of location quotient of chefs and head cooks by state, May 2021


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 920 3.24 3.51 $ 23.39 $ 48,660
Alaska 860 2.90 3.14 $ 26.20 $ 54,500
District of Columbia 1,290 1.94 2.11 $ 30.67 $ 63,800
Maine 1,120 1.90 2.06 $ 26.09 $ 54,260
Hawaii 980 1.79 1.95 $ 35.53 $ 73,900


Map of annual mean wages of chefs and head cooks by state, May 2021


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 3,600 0.93 1.01 $ 38.07 $ 79,190
Hawaii 980 1.79 1.95 $ 35.53 $ 73,900
Rhode Island (8) (8) (8) $ 34.68 $ 72,140
Massachusetts 3,640 1.07 1.16 $ 33.39 $ 69,450
Maryland 2,590 1.02 1.10 $ 31.23 $ 64,950



Map of employment of chefs and head cooks by area, May 2021


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 9,850 1.13 1.23 $ 34.14 $ 71,010
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 5,390 0.94 1.02 $ 29.64 $ 61,650
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 4,410 1.04 1.13 $ 22.45 $ 46,690
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 3,650 1.49 1.62 $ 29.05 $ 60,430
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 3,230 1.10 1.19 $ 31.72 $ 65,970
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 3,100 1.38 1.50 $ 30.91 $ 64,280
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 2,680 0.93 1.01 $ 20.83 $ 43,320
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 2,670 0.74 0.81 $ 26.07 $ 54,220
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 2,560 0.99 1.08 $ 34.16 $ 71,050
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 2,250 0.85 0.92 $ 31.29 $ 65,070


Map of location quotient of chefs and head cooks by area, May 2021


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)
Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL 580 3.93 4.27 $ 30.15 $ 62,720
Ocean City, NJ 130 3.28 3.55 $ 34.51 $ 71,770
Napa, CA 220 3.15 3.42 $ 32.54 $ 67,680
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 200 3.10 3.37 $ 38.19 $ 79,430
The Villages, FL 100 2.96 3.22 $ 31.31 $ 65,120
Charleston-North Charleston, SC 990 2.93 3.18 $ 23.61 $ 49,100
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC 220 2.90 3.15 $ 24.96 $ 51,920
Fairbanks, AK 100 2.82 3.06 $ 26.62 $ 55,370
Anchorage, AK 430 2.69 2.92 $ 26.86 $ 55,860
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA 290 2.59 2.82 $ 26.53 $ 55,190