Chef Wages and Income
Culinary career salaries for chefs or head cooks vary widely, depending on a variety of factors. Your work environment is one of them. Fine dining restaurants usually pay some of the highest wages.
Other high-paying employers include hotels, resorts, and individuals who hire private chefs. Institutional cafeterias, casual or fast-food restaurants, and cruise ships tend to be among the lowest-paying employers.
Aside from your work environment, your education level, previous work experience, and geographic location will also determine your earning potential.
Culinary Graduate Salaries
Your degree or diploma will certainly give you an advantage over non-culinary school graduates. Across all fields, bachelor’s degree holders earn almost twice as much as those with only a high school diploma, according to the US Census Bureau.
Average Pay Ranges
The table below shows the average annual earnings of the middle 50% of restaurant and hospitality employees.
| Job Title | Annual Earnings of Middle 50% |
|---|---|
| Cooking Assistant | $23,096 – 28,862 |
| Executive Chef | $55,976 – 85,328 |
| Executive Pastry Chef | $45,610 – 68,326 |
| Food Scientist | $48,289 – 73,410 |
| Hotel Manager | $64,926 – 119,094 |
| Line Cook | $19,280 – 25,229 |
| Restaurant Manager | $36,778 – 53,916 |
| Sous Chef | $31,977 – 49,745 |
Use the Salary Wizard at Salary.com to find out how much chefs, cooks, and food preparation workers currently earn in your city.
U.S. Labor Department Wage Information
Earnings of Chefs, Cooks, and Food Preparation Workers: Earnings vary depending on where and in what type of establishment one works.
The median annual wages of chefs and head cooks were $34,370 in May of 2006, while the median earnings of restaurant cooks were $20,340. Food preparation workers earned a median annual salary of $17,410.
The above wage data are from the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey program unless otherwise noted.
Check the list of 150 culinary jobs.
