Chef Salary: How Much Do Chefs Make a Year? (BLS Data)

How much do chefs make a year?

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey reports these figures for chefs and head cooks (May 2025):

The median is the midpoint: half of chefs earned more and half earned less. BLS wage data do not include self-employed chefs.

Chef pay by industry

Food services and drinking places employed 64% of chefs and head cooks. BLS notes that pay is usually highest in upscale restaurants and hotels and in major metropolitan and resort areas.

Pay by state or city: BLS publishes OEWS wage estimates for every state and metro area. Look up chefs and head cooks (occupation code 35-1011) for your area before you set or negotiate a salary, because local pay can differ a lot from the national median.

How chef pay compares with other kitchen jobs

Worked example: a restaurant cook at the median $17.98 an hour working 2,080 hours (40 hours for 52 weeks) would earn about $37,400 a year before overtime. That is our own calculation from the BLS hourly median, not a BLS figure.

Types of chefs

• Executive chef or chef de cuisine: runs the kitchen, designs the menu, reviews purchasing and trains cooks. Some spend more time on administration than cooking.
• Sous chef: second in command. Supervises cooks, cooks during service and runs the kitchen when the head chef is out.
• Head cook: leads the kitchen in smaller operations.
• Line cooks: work a station. Many chefs start here. See the line cook job description.

BLS groups executive chefs, head cooks, chefs de cuisine and sous chefs in the chefs and head cooks occupation, so it does not publish a separate median for each title.

Job outlook

BLS projects employment of chefs and head cooks to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the 3% average for all occupations, with about 25,200 openings each year on average. Most openings come from people changing jobs or leaving the workforce.

How chefs get paid

• Salary or hourly. Head chefs are often salaried. Line and prep cooks are usually hourly and earn overtime after 40 hours in a workweek if they are non-exempt.
• Bonuses. Some restaurants pay bonuses tied to food cost, sales or inspection results.
• Tip pools. Federal rules allow back-of-house staff in a tip pool only when the employer does not take a tip credit, and managers and supervisors cannot keep employees’ tips. See tip pooling rules.
• Benefits. Health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off and staff meals add to total compensation.

How to raise a chef’s pay

1. Build experience: BLS lists five years or more in a related job as typical for this role.
2. Add training through a culinary program or registered apprenticeship.
3. Take on purchasing, menu costing and scheduling, the business skills that separate chefs from cooks.
4. Consider higher-paying employers, such as hotels and resorts.

Pay your kitchen accurately

For hourly cooks, every minute counts. The EZTime time clock records each punch, sends overtime and break alerts and creates payroll-ready exports, and scheduling keeps labor in line with sales. Compare total labor with the restaurant labor cost percentage.

Frequently asked questions

How much do chefs make a year?

Chefs and head cooks earned a median of $62,470 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

How much do restaurant cooks make per hour?

Restaurant cooks earned a median of $17.98 an hour in May 2025, per BLS. Fast food cooks earned a median of $14.85.

Where do chefs earn the most?

BLS reports the highest medians in traveler accommodation ($74,380) and amusement, gambling and recreation ($72,830).

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Updated November 2026. Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook and OEWS, May 2025. General information only; not legal advice.