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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2017

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 this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
131,430 2.2 % $23.87 $49,650 1.0 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $12.03 $16.32 $22.09 $29.75 $37.78
Annual Wage (2) $25,020 $33,950 $45,950 $61,870 $78,570


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

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

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Restaurants and Other Eating Places 74,430 0.71 $22.16 $46,100
Special Food Services 15,050 2.17 $24.82 $51,620
Traveler Accommodation 13,880 0.71 $27.96 $58,170
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries 6,570 0.52 $28.75 $59,810
Food and Beverage Stores (4451 and 4452 only) 2,860 0.10 $21.90 $45,550

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Special Food Services 15,050 2.17 $24.82 $51,620
Rooming and Boarding Houses 90 0.79 $19.05 $39,630
Restaurants and Other Eating Places 74,430 0.71 $22.16 $46,100
Traveler Accommodation 13,880 0.71 $27.96 $58,170
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries 6,570 0.52 $28.75 $59,810

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Performing Arts Companies 50 0.04 $39.52 $82,200
Other Personal Services 60 0.02 $33.27 $69,200
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 1,560 0.08 $33.10 $68,850
Office Administrative Services 90 0.02 $32.32 $67,220
Management of Companies and Enterprises 1,020 0.04 $31.46 $65,430


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

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





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 18,350 1.10 1.19 $25.35 $52,720
New York 16,890 1.83 1.99 $23.33 $48,520
Florida 8,770 1.04 1.13 $25.97 $54,030
Texas 7,270 0.61 0.66 $24.03 $49,990
Massachusetts 4,800 1.36 1.48 $27.66 $57,540




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada 3,450 2.63 2.86 $26.67 $55,470
Alaska 700 2.19 2.37 $19.50 $40,570
South Carolina 4,130 2.06 2.23 $17.84 $37,110
Hawaii 1,230 1.95 2.11 $33.89 $70,480
New York 16,890 1.83 1.99 $23.33 $48,520




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii 1,230 1.95 2.11 $33.89 $70,480
New Jersey 2,870 0.72 0.78 $31.02 $64,510
District of Columbia 990 1.40 1.51 $30.73 $63,910
Rhode Island 420 0.88 0.96 $28.51 $59,310
Massachusetts 4,800 1.36 1.48 $27.66 $57,540



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Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 12,500 1.87 2.03 $22.82 $47,470
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 4,810 1.09 1.18 $23.99 $49,900
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division 3,170 0.87 0.94 $23.93 $49,780
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 3,020 1.52 1.65 $20.36 $42,350
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 2,920 3.03 3.28 $27.23 $56,630
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA NECTA Division 2,670 1.45 1.58 $29.17 $60,680
Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 2,340 1.45 1.57 $24.58 $51,130
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 2,280 0.90 0.98 $30.25 $62,920
Nassau County-Suffolk County, NY Metropolitan Division 2,180 1.67 1.81 $31.75 $66,040
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 2,120 0.72 0.79 $21.87 $45,490


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Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Charleston-North Charleston, SC 1,430 4.24 4.60 $14.29 $29,720
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 240 3.19 3.46 $33.65 $69,990
Napa, CA 230 3.17 3.44 $27.52 $57,250
Florence, SC 270 3.16 3.43 $15.04 $31,290
Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL 440 3.09 3.36 $25.94 $53,960
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 2,920 3.03 3.28 $27.23 $56,630
Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC 1,180 2.94 3.19 $21.23 $44,160
Anchorage, AK 490 2.85 3.09 $17.29 $35,970
The Villages, FL 70 2.81 3.05 $28.88 $60,070
Danbury, CT 220 2.74 2.97 $18.66 $38,810


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Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL 120 2.37 2.57 $37.34 $77,670
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 240 3.19 3.46 $33.65 $69,990
San Rafael, CA Metropolitan Division 230 2.01 2.18 $32.04 $66,650
Nassau County-Suffolk County, NY Metropolitan Division 2,180 1.67 1.81 $31.75 $66,040
Newark, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division 820 0.70 0.76 $31.49 $65,500
Visalia-Porterville, CA 70 0.48 0.52 $31.20 $64,890
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 2,280 0.90 0.98 $30.25 $62,920
Peabody-Salem-Beverly, MA NECTA Division 110 1.20 1.30 $29.96 $62,310
Salinas, CA 200 1.17 1.27 $29.92 $62,230
West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Delray Beach, FL Metropolitan Division 850 1.41 1.52 $29.86 $62,120

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 390 3.32 3.60 $27.10 $56,360
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 350 3.52 3.82 $28.82 $59,950
East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 260 1.93 2.09 $15.61 $32,460
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 250 2.33 2.53 $23.10 $48,050
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 190 1.01 1.09 $23.43 $48,720

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard nonmetropolitan area 140 7.62 8.27 $36.60 $76,130
Southwest Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 30 3.92 4.25 $30.02 $62,440
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 350 3.52 3.82 $28.82 $59,950
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 390 3.32 3.60 $27.10 $56,360
East Central New York nonmetropolitan area 110 3.31 3.59 $22.98 $47,800

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard nonmetropolitan area 140 7.62 8.27 $36.60 $76,130
Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 50 0.75 0.82 $33.65 $69,990
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 50 0.18 0.19 $32.95 $68,530
Northern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 40 0.27 0.29 $31.62 $65,770
Southern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 120 0.65 0.70 $31.00 $64,480


About May 2017 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 OES estimates and related information:

May 2017 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 30, 2018