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Chefs and Head Cooks: Pay by State
Nationally, 200,040 people work as chefs and head cooks, earning a median of $62,470 a year ($30/hour) — with most between $37,900 and $98,560.
| State | Workers | Median pay | Per hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | 740 | $79,930 | $38 |
| Hawaii | 1,240 | $77,360 | $37 |
| District of Columbia | 2,020 | $76,420 | $37 |
| Washington | 5,320 | $76,010 | $37 |
| North Dakota | 100 | $74,740 | $36 |
| New Jersey | 9,100 | $74,280 | $36 |
| Wyoming | 240 | $73,170 | $35 |
| South Carolina | 2,650 | $71,860 | $35 |
| New York | 17,430 | $70,670 | $34 |
| Tennessee | 3,820 | $69,810 | $34 |
| Massachusetts | 6,000 | $69,540 | $33 |
| Georgia | 3,680 | $66,230 | $32 |
| Vermont | 610 | $65,440 | $31 |
| Colorado | 3,970 | $65,400 | $31 |
| California | 31,670 | $64,500 | $31 |
| Missouri | 1,750 | $64,480 | $31 |
| Connecticut | 3,080 | $64,310 | $31 |
| Pennsylvania | 9,170 | $63,860 | $31 |
| Oregon | 2,510 | $63,600 | $31 |
| New Hampshire | 1,170 | $63,400 | $30 |
| Virginia | 3,600 | $63,270 | $30 |
| Minnesota | 1,730 | $62,600 | $30 |
| Alabama | 1,000 | $62,400 | $30 |
| Nevada | 3,940 | $62,380 | $30 |
| New Mexico | 770 | $62,250 | $30 |
| Maryland | 3,220 | $61,590 | $30 |
| Delaware | 590 | $61,440 | $30 |
| Wisconsin | 1,860 | $61,300 | $29 |
| North Carolina | 4,920 | $61,130 | $29 |
| West Virginia | 350 | $61,100 | $29 |
| Nebraska | 540 | $60,510 | $29 |
| Michigan | 5,360 | $60,070 | $29 |
| Arizona | 4,080 | $59,890 | $29 |
| Utah | 1,740 | $59,060 | $28 |
| Illinois | 8,290 | $58,830 | $28 |
| Oklahoma | 1,430 | $58,540 | $28 |
| Kansas | 860 | $58,390 | $28 |
| Florida | 19,670 | $58,240 | $28 |
| Montana | 720 | $57,470 | $28 |
| Maine | 1,250 | $57,010 | $27 |
| Texas | 13,270 | $56,080 | $27 |
| Mississippi | 840 | $54,850 | $26 |
| Ohio | 4,000 | $53,990 | $26 |
| Alaska | 680 | $52,190 | $25 |
| Indiana | 1,940 | $52,190 | $25 |
| Idaho | 550 | $52,000 | $25 |
| South Dakota | 300 | $48,470 | $23 |
| Kentucky | 1,790 | $48,070 | $23 |
| Iowa | 1,640 | $47,990 | $23 |
| Arkansas | 880 | $46,170 | $22 |
| Louisiana | 1,990 | $45,570 | $22 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, most recent annual estimate. States are ordered by median pay. Cost of living differs between states — a higher number is not automatically a better deal. Some states are omitted where the estimate is suppressed. Labour-market data, not job listings.