Chefs and Head Cooks earn $62,470 nationally at the median. The middle 50% of workers fall between $48,440 and $78,750. Where you land depends on specialization, employer, and experience.
This page sets out what the federal data says about working as a chefs and head cooks: what the job pays, how fast it is growing, and what it takes to get in. Most people arrive through a degree in Culinary Arts and what it leads to, though it is not the only route.
Direct and may participate in the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups, fish, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods. May plan and price menu items, order supplies, and keep records and accounts.
Also known as:
Most chefs and head cooks take home around $62,470 a year, about what a typical college graduate makes. Half earn somewhere between $48,440 and $78,750, so where you land depends a lot on employer, specialty and city. A solid living in most parts of the country. Source: BLS.
A wage on its own says nothing about whether the degree behind it pays for itself, which is a question of lifetime earnings set against the total cost of getting there.
Near the national median for college graduates.
25th to 75th percentile. Most workers earn within this band.
This is what the job actually looks like on a Tuesday: 5 core activities and 5 skills the work depends on. Read it before the salary, because pay matters less than whether you would want to spend your days doing this. Source: O*NET.
Leadership, influence, and business acumen are rewarded here, where managing teams, driving decisions, or persuading others shapes career outcomes.
Hands-on tasks, physical activity, or working with tools and real materials are central parts of the daily work here.
Success depends on precision and structured processes, where detail-oriented people who work consistently within established systems perform best.
What the physical and mental conditions of this job actually look like day to day, based on O*NET Work Context data collected from people working in this occupation.
Split between indoor and outdoor or field settings.
Mix of sitting and movement throughout the day.
High time pressure and significant consequences for errors. Deadline-driven or high-stakes decisions are common.
Through 2035 the BLS expects this field to change by +6.6%, meaning it is growing at about the same pace as everything else, so expect steady demand. Around 25,200 roles open up each year, which is the number that matters most if you are starting out. Source: BLS.
Growth rates are only meaningful next to other occupations, and the full list of careers with their projected growth puts this one in context.
About as fast as average.
New positions plus replacements for retirees and career-changers.
Total US employment as of BLS May 2025.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025.
The five states below employ the most Chefs and Head Cooks professionals nationwide. State-level wages can differ significantly from the $62,470 national median. Research your specific market before committing to a program.
| # | State | Jobs | Median Wage | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 31,670 | $64,500 | +3.2% |
| 2 | Florida | 19,670 | $58,240 | -6.8% |
| 3 | New York | 17,430 | $70,670 | +13.1% |
| 4 | Texas | 13,270 | $56,080 | -10.2% |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 9,170 | $63,860 | +2.2% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Employment figures rounded. Read our methodology →
To get hired here you will usually need a high school diploma or equivalent. The program below is the most common route in, ordered by how many people actually graduate from each one.
A medium amount of preparation is required, often an associate degree, certificate program, or apprenticeship, plus some related experience.
| # | Program | Graduates/yr | 4yr Median | Colleges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Culinary Arts | 22,680 | $47,668 | 632 |
Colleges offering the degree programs that lead to this career, ranked by UCD Score. A strong program plus solid outcomes is a good place to begin your search.
| # | College | UCD Score | Net Price | Salary 10yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Victor Valley College Victorville, CA | 90 | $1,947 | $36,119 |
| 2 | College of the Ozarks Point Lookout, MO | 88 | $6,100 | $41,592 |
| 3 | South Georgia Technical College Americus, GA | 86 | $1,164 | $30,364 |
| 4 | South Florida State College Avon Park, FL | 86 | $3,877 | $39,990 |
| 5 | Manatee Technical College Bradenton, FL | 85 | $1,808 | $38,129 |
| 6 | Indian River State College Fort Pierce, FL | 84 | $3,815 | $38,315 |
Once you've sized up Chefs and Head Cooks, these tools turn the numbers into a plan. Estimate the real cost of a degree that leads here, weigh the long-term payoff, compare specific colleges side-by-side, and find programs that match your profile.
See if the degree that leads to Chefs and Head Cooks pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings graduates see.
Enter a budget and see the colleges whose net price fits, with the out-of-pocket cost and likely loan load for each.
Put any 2–4 colleges side-by-side. Admissions, cost, outcomes, and earnings, all on one screen, no tab-hopping.
Answer six quick questions and see your best-fit colleges ranked by budget, field of study, and what matters most to you.
The data on Chefs and Head Cooks shows 4 measurable strengths and 1 real trade-offs. All points are drawn from BLS wage data, employment projections, and IPEDS program completions.
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