Culinary chef earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level culinary chef earnings begin at:

$37.96 per hour

$78,970 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level culinary chef earnings begin at:

$29.91 per hour

$62,210 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level culinary chef earnings begin at:

$23.57 per hour

$49,030 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level culinary chef earnings begin at:

$18.24 per hour

$37,930 per year

10th percentile

Starting level culinary chef earnings begin at:

$15.43 per hour

$32,100 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 16% more than similar careers in Missouri. On average, they make less than restaurant managers but more than bartenders.

Career Median Salary
Restaurant manager salary $57K
Registered dietitian salary $49K
Culinary chef salary $49K
Brewmaster salary $39K
Food batchmaker salary $37K
Butcher salary $34K
Bartender salary $23K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)