Culinary chef earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level culinary chef earnings begin at:

$38.55 per hour

$80,170 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level culinary chef earnings begin at:

$30.87 per hour

$64,210 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level culinary chef earnings begin at:

$23.88 per hour

$49,660 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level culinary chef earnings begin at:

$18.81 per hour

$39,130 per year

10th percentile

Starting level culinary chef earnings begin at:

$18.50 per hour

$38,480 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Culinary chef salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Hawaii $78,530
New Jersey $75,410
Massachusetts $64,560
Rhode Island $64,560
Alabama $62,310
Maryland $61,490
Washington $60,720
District of Columbia $60,340
Arizona $59,770
New York $59,770
New Hampshire $59,380
Pennsylvania $58,550
Indiana $55,650
Virginia $52,050
West Virginia $51,810
Florida $51,560
Oregon $51,190
California $50,570
Ohio $50,510
Maine $50,420
Tennessee $50,400
Colorado $50,360
Wyoming $50,130
Wisconsin $50,110
Delaware $50,080
Nevada $49,820
North Carolina $49,700
Alaska $49,660
Connecticut $49,480
Missouri $49,030
Oklahoma $48,970
Nebraska $48,910
Georgia $48,550
Michigan $48,500
Vermont $48,030
North Dakota $47,900
Mississippi $47,750
Utah $46,910
Louisiana $46,640
New Mexico $46,470
Kentucky $46,180
South Carolina $45,770
South Dakota $45,230
Illinois $45,200
Kansas $44,690
Minnesota $44,560
Texas $43,280
Arkansas $42,860
Montana $40,760
Guam $39,340
Iowa $38,730
Virgin Islands, U.S. $36,750
Idaho $31,920
Puerto Rico $28,360

How do culinary chef salaries compare to similar careers?

Culinary chefs earn about the same as related careers in Alaska. On average, they make less than registered dietitian but more than bakers.

Career Median Salary
Registered dietitian salary $76K
Brewmaster salary $51K
Culinary chef salary $50K
Butcher salary $47K
Food batchmaker salary $37K
Dietetic technician salary $37K
Baker salary $30K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)