State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Chef Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Chefs and Head Cooks earn a median of $62,470 per year ($30.03/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 7.1% through 2034, with about 24,400 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
SOC 35-1011Food Preparation and Serving RelatedLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $62,470
- Projected growth
- +7.1%
- Openings a year
- 24,400
- Typical education
- High school
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Banquet Chef, Chef, Cook, Executive Chef (Ex Chef), Executive Pastry Chef, Executive Sous Chef.
How much do Chefs and Head Cooks make?
10th percentile$37,900
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$48,440
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$62,470
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$78,750
Upper quartile
90th percentile$98,560
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $62,470 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $30.03/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $66,700 |
| People employed | 200,040 |
Versus all US occupations
At $62,470, Chefs and Head Cooks earn 23% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $11,490 a year.
Versus food preparation and serving related occupations
Inside the Food Preparation and Serving Related group, where the middle occupation pays $35,275, this is 77% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $98,560 or more while the bottom 10% earn $37,900, a gap of 2.6×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 46% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Rhode Island posts the highest raw median ($79,930), but once local prices are taken into account North Dakota leads at $84,016 in national-average dollars.
Which states pay Chefs and Head Cooks the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $79,930 | $78,148 | 740 |
| Hawaii | $77,360 | $70,359 | 1,240 |
| District of Columbia | $76,420 | $69,535 | 2,020 |
| Washington | $76,010 | $71,029 | 5,320 |
| North Dakota | $74,740 | $84,016 | 100 |
| New Jersey | $74,280 | $68,269 | 9,100 |
| Wyoming | $73,170 | $78,940 | 240 |
| South Carolina | $71,860 | $76,651 | 2,650 |
| New York | $70,670 | $65,483 | 17,430 |
| Tennessee | $69,810 | $75,988 | 3,820 |
Is Chef a growing career?
Chefs and Head Cooks7.1%
All US occupations3.1%
+7.1% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Chefs and Head Cooks to change 7.1% over 2024–2034, roughly 2.3× the 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 14,000 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 24,400 openings are projected each year, 12.4% of the 197,300 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Income growth is expected to result in greater demand for high-quality dishes at a variety of dining venues. As a result, more restaurants and other dining places are expected to open to satisfy consumer desire for dining out.
Consumers are continuing to demand healthier meals made from scratch in restaurants, cafeterias, grocery stores, and other places that sell food. To ensure high-quality dishes, these establishments hire experienced chefs to oversee food preparation.
How to become a Chef
To enter the occupation, chefs and head cooks typically need a high school diploma plus experience. Some attend a culinary program at a community college, technical school, culinary arts school, or 4-year college. Others learn through apprenticeship programs or in the Armed Forces.
| Typical entry-level education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Some preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | 5 years or more |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as chefs and head cooks.
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)54.2%
- Post-Secondary Certificate16.7%
- High School Diploma12.5%
- Some College Courses8.3%
- Bachelor's Degree8.3%
What does a Chef do?
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.
Chefs and head cooks oversee the daily food preparation at restaurants and other places where food is served. They direct kitchen staff and handle any food-related concerns.
Day-to-day tasks
- 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.
- Check the quantity and quality of received products.
- Check the quality of raw or cooked food products to ensure that standards are met.
- Estimate amounts and costs of required supplies, such as food and ingredients.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where chefs and head cooks work
| Food services and drinking places | 63% |
|---|---|
| Traveler accommodation | 9% |
| Self-employed workers | 6% |
| Amusement, gambling, and recreation industries | 6% |
| Healthcare and social assistance | 5% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Monitoring4.0/5
- Speaking3.9/5
- Critical Thinking3.8/5
- Active Listening3.6/5
- Reading Comprehension3.5/5
- Active Learning3.4/5
- Learning Strategies3.3/5
- Writing3.1/5
Transferable skills
- Coordination4.1/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.9/5
- Time Management3.9/5
- Management of Personnel Resources3.9/5
- Service Orientation3.8/5
- Instructing3.6/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.3/5
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web page creation and editing software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Desktop publishing software
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
- Financial analysis software
- Instant messaging software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Chef?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary4.8
Investigative1.7
Artistic2.7
Social3.0
Enterprisingprimary5.1
Conventionalprimary4.3
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Chef: frequently asked questions
How much do Chefs and Head Cooks make?
Chefs and Head Cooks earn a median of $62,470 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 23% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $30.03/hr. The middle half earn between $48,440 and $78,750. The top 10% earn $98,560 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Chef?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Chefs and Head Cooks. Employers typically expect 5 years or more of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 54.2% hold associate's degree (or other 2-year degree).
Is Chef a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 7.1% over 2024–2034, more than double the 3.1% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 24,400 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Chef do?
Chefs and head cooks oversee the daily food preparation at restaurants and other places where food is served. A core O*NET task: monitor sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Office suite software, Presentation software.
Which states pay Chefs and Head Cooks the most?
The highest state medians for Chefs and Head Cooks are Rhode Island ($79,930), Hawaii ($77,360), District of Columbia ($76,420) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, North Dakota moves to the top at $84,016.
What personality type suits a Chef?
O*NET scores Chefs and Head Cooks highest on the Enterprising, Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ESTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.