Salaries › Chef
Chef Salary by State (2026)
How much does a Chef make? The median Chef salary in the US is about $63,297 per year (roughly $30.00 an hour), across 200,070 jobs (Chefs and Head Cooks). But pay swings widely by state — the median ranges from $45,570 in Louisiana to $79,930 in Rhode Island. Pick your state below for the full pay range and an estimated take-home after taxes.
Median Chef salary in every state
| State | Median salary | Jobs |
| Rhode Island | $79,930 | 740 |
| Hawaii | $77,360 | 1,240 |
| District of Columbia | $76,420 | 2,020 |
| Washington | $76,010 | 5,320 |
| North Dakota | $74,740 | 100 |
| New Jersey | $74,280 | 9,100 |
| Wyoming | $73,170 | 240 |
| South Carolina | $71,860 | 2,650 |
| New York | $70,670 | 17,430 |
| Tennessee | $69,810 | 3,820 |
| Massachusetts | $69,540 | 6,000 |
| Georgia | $66,230 | 3,680 |
| Vermont | $65,440 | 610 |
| Colorado | $65,400 | 3,970 |
| California | $64,500 | 31,670 |
| Missouri | $64,480 | 1,750 |
| Connecticut | $64,310 | 3,080 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,860 | 9,170 |
| Oregon | $63,600 | 2,510 |
| New Hampshire | $63,400 | 1,170 |
| Virginia | $63,270 | 3,600 |
| Minnesota | $62,600 | 1,730 |
| Alabama | $62,400 | 1,000 |
| Nevada | $62,380 | 3,940 |
| New Mexico | $62,250 | 770 |
| Maryland | $61,590 | 3,220 |
| Delaware | $61,440 | 590 |
| Wisconsin | $61,300 | 1,860 |
| North Carolina | $61,130 | 4,920 |
| West Virginia | $61,100 | 350 |
| Nebraska | $60,510 | 540 |
| Michigan | $60,070 | 5,360 |
| Arizona | $59,890 | 4,080 |
| Utah | $59,060 | 1,740 |
| Illinois | $58,830 | 8,290 |
| Oklahoma | $58,540 | 1,430 |
| Kansas | $58,390 | 860 |
| Florida | $58,240 | 19,670 |
| Montana | $57,470 | 720 |
| Maine | $57,010 | 1,250 |
| Texas | $56,080 | 13,270 |
| Mississippi | $54,850 | 840 |
| Ohio | $53,990 | 4,000 |
| Alaska | $52,190 | 680 |
| Indiana | $52,190 | 1,940 |
| Idaho | $52,000 | 550 |
| South Dakota | $48,470 | 300 |
| Kentucky | $48,070 | 1,790 |
| Iowa | $47,990 | 1,640 |
| Arkansas | $46,170 | 880 |
| Louisiana | $45,570 | 1,990 |
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Chef make?
- A Chef makes a median of about $63,297 per year in the US (roughly $30.00 per hour), according to the latest BLS data. Pay ranges from $45,570 in Louisiana to $79,930 in Rhode Island depending on the state.
- What is the average Chef salary in the US?
- The typical (employment-weighted median) Chef salary in the US is about $63,297 per year, based on the latest BLS data covering 200,070 jobs nationwide.
- Which state pays Chefs the most?
- Rhode Island has the highest median Chef salary at $79,930 per year. Remember that taxes and cost of living vary — a high gross salary can shrink after state taxes.
- Which state pays Chefs the least?
- Louisiana has the lowest median at $45,570 per year. Lower-paying states often also have lower living costs and, in some cases, no state income tax.
Sources and methodology
All figures: BLS OEWS May 2025 (state file, released April 2026) (Chefs and Head Cooks, code 35-1011). “Typical pay” is the employment-weighted average of state medians. Take-home estimates on state pages use 2026 federal and verified state tax rules from our PaycheckTally engine.