The salary of a Head Chef in the United States varies depending on several factors, including experience, location, education level, marketing trend and company sizes.
As of February 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a Head Chef in the United States is $99,700. According to Salary.com, salaries can range from a low of $75,437 to a high of $127,975, with most professionals earning between $87,000 and $114,500.
| Annual Salary |
Monthly Pay |
Weekly Pay |
Hourly Wage |
|
| 75th Percentile | $114,500 | $9,542 | $2,202 | $55 |
| Average | $99,700 | $8,308 | $1,917 | $48 |
| 25th Percentile | $87,000 | $7,250 | $1,673 | $42 |
An entry-level Head Chef with less than 1 year of experience earns about $93,999. With 1-2 years of experience, the average salary increases to $94,563. For 2-4 years of experience, the pay typically rises to $95,879. Senior-level professionals with 5-8 years of experience earn around $97,384, and those with over 8 years of experience can expect an average of $100,225.
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level Head Chef | $93,999 |
| Intermediate Level Head Chef | $94,563 |
| Senior Level Head Chef | $95,879 |
| Specialist Level Head Chef | $97,384 |
| Expert Level Head Chef | $100,225 |
| Entry Level | 6% |
| Mid Level | 5% |
| Senior Level | 4% |
| Top Level | 2% |
| Experienced | 1% |
Salaries in the United States differ widely between states due to factors like cost of living, local economies, and industry presence.
What Am I Worth?
Salaries in the United States can vary greatly between cities due to factors like cost of living, local economies, and industry presence.
As of February 01, 2025, our research reveals a significant shift in Head Chef compensation over the past six years. For example, the median salary increased from $84,154 in 2023 to approximately $84,541 in 2024. (For a detailed analysis of Head Chef salary trends, click here.)
Key factors like location, experience, industry demand, and economic growth significantly influence salary variations, making them important to consider.
Salary.com job board provides millions of Head Chef information for you to search for. Click on search button below to see Head Chef job openings or enter a new job title here.
Here are companies hiring for Head Chef and their salaries, click below for more details.
| Core Compensation | ||||
| Core Compensation | Median | % of Total | ||
| Base Salary | $99,700 | 69.7% | ||
| Bonus | $2,700 | 1.9% | ||
| Value of Benefits | ||||
| Core Compensation | Median | % of Total | ||
| Social Security | $7,834 | 5.5% | ||
| 401K/403B | $4,301 | 3.0% | ||
| Disability | $2,048 | 1.4% | ||
| Healthcare | $8,352 | 5.8% | ||
| Pension | $5,530 | 3.9% | ||
| Time Off | $12,603 | 8.8% | ||
| Total Compensation | $143,067 | 100% | ||
| Degree Level | % of user with this level of education |
|---|---|
| No Diploma | 1.4% |
| High School | 24.8% |
| Associates | 45.3% |
| Bachelors | 23.3% |
| Masters | 4.2% |
| Doctorate | 1.0% |
What Am I Worth?
The average annual salary of Head Chef is $99,700. In case you are finding an easy salary calculator, the average hourly pay of Head Chef is $48; the average weekly pay of Head Chef is $1,917; the average monthly pay of Head Chef is $8,308.
A Head Chef's earning potential can vary widely depending on several factors, including location, industry, experience, education, and the specific employer. According to the latest salary data by Salary.com, a Head Chef earns the most in San Jose, CA, where the annual salary of a Head Chef is $125,100.
The highest pay for Head Chef is $127,975.
The lowest pay for Head Chef is $75,437.
The Head Chef creates and updates menus to maximize profits and minimize loss. Directs and oversees the operations of the kitchen(s), including menu development, inventory and purchasing of supplies, cost control and sanitation. Being a Head Chef monitors customer satisfaction. Tests and develops recipes. In addition, Head Chef is responsible for supervising and training staff. Requires an understanding of federal, state, and local food sanitation regulations. Requires a bachelor's degree. Typically reports to top management. The Head Chef typically manages through subordinate managers and professionals in larger groups of moderate complexity. Provides input to strategic decisions that affect the functional area of responsibility. May give input into developing the budget. Working as a Head Chef typically requires 3+ years of managerial experience. Capable of resolving escalated issues arising from operations and requiring coordination with other departments.
Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.
Leadership: Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
Food Safety: Applying procedures during food preparation, processing, storage, and distribution to ensure consumers are safe from foodborne illnesses.
Merchandising: In the broadest sense, merchandising is any practice which contributes to the sale of products to a retail consumer. At a retail in-store level, merchandising refers to the variety of products available for sale and the display of those products in such a way that it stimulates interest and entices customers to make a purchase. In the profession of merchandising you are either employed by the store in which you work, or by an independent distributor. As a professional merchandiser, in a retail setting, you will not only know your products(I.e. coffee, juice, soda, etc.) but you will gauge other “vendors” like products as you tend to your job. Working with the store and other merchandisers, shelf space is often given or taken as need be in some locations(for some young merchandisers this is known as “war”) In retail commerce, visual display merchandising means merchandise sales using product design, selection, packaging, pricing, and display that stimulates consumers to spend more. This includes disciplines and discounting, physical presentation of products and displays, and the decisions about which products should be presented to which customers at what time.
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)
With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.
