The salary of a Head Chef in the United States varies depending on several factors, including experience, location, education level, marketing trend and company sizes.
As of October 01, 2024, the average annual pay of Head Chef in the United States is $98,700. While Salary.com is seeing that the highest pay for Head Chef in the US can go up to $126,593 and the lowest down to $74,628, but most earn between $86,100 and $113,300. Salary.com shows the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Head Chef in the United States.
| Annual Salary |
Monthly Pay |
Weekly Pay |
Hourly Wage |
|
| 75th Percentile | $113,300 | $9,442 | $2,179 | $54 |
| Average | $98,700 | $8,225 | $1,898 | $47 |
| 25th Percentile | $86,100 | $7,175 | $1,656 | $41 |
As of October 01, 2024, the average annual pay of Head Chef in the United States is $98,700. While Salary.com is seeing that the highest pay for Head Chef in the US can go up to $126,593 and the lowest down to $74,628, but most earn between $86,100 and $113,300. Salary.com shows the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Head Chef in the United States.
As of October 01, 2024, Salary.com is seeing that an entry-level Head Chef with under 1 year experience makes about $91,100. With less than 2 years of experience, a mid-level Head Chef makes around $91,700. After 2-4 years, the Head Chef pay rises to about $93,100. Those senior Head Chef with 5-8 years of experience earn roughly $94,700, and those Head Chef having 8 years or more experience is expected to earn about $97,657 on average.
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level Head Chef | $91,100 |
| Intermediate Level Head Chef | $91,700 |
| Senior Level Head Chef | $93,100 |
| Specialist Level Head Chef | $94,700 |
| Expert Level Head Chef | $97,657 |
| Entry Level | 8% |
| Mid Level | 7% |
| Senior Level | 6% |
| Top Level | 4% |
| Experienced | 1% |
Salaries in the United States can vary significantly from state to state due to a multitude of factors, including cost of living, local economic conditions, and industry presence.
For example, as of October 01, 2024, the average yearly salary of Head Chef is $108,800 in California and in Massachusetts, the average annual salary goes to $107,300. While in New Jersey, a Head Chef earns $108,100 per year.
What Am I Worth?
Salaries in the United States can vary significantly from city to city due to a multitude of factors, including cost of living, local economic conditions, and industry presence.
For example, as of October 01, 2024, the average yearly salary of Head Chef in San Francisco, CA is $123,300 and in New York, NY, the average annual salary goes to $115,200. While a Head Chef earns $110,600 per year in Boston, MA.
For those exploring the changing dynamics of Head Chef salaries, Salary.com offers detailed insights through our Job Trending in CA Labor Market analysis. As of October 01, 2024, our research highlights a notable shift in Head Chef compensation over the past six years. For instance, the median salary has moved from $84,154 in 2023 to about $84,541 in 2024 (for a comprehensive analysis of Head Chef salary trends, click here). It's crucial to consider several elements, including geographical location, experience level, industry demand, and economic development, as they play a significant role in influencing salary variations.
Salary.com job board provides millions of Head Chef information for you to search for. Click on search button below to see Head Chef job openings or enter a new job title here.
Here are companies hiring for Head Chef and their salaries, click below for more details.
| Core Compensation | ||||
| Core Compensation | Median | % of Total | ||
| Base Salary | $98,700 | 69.7% | ||
| Bonus | $2,600 | 1.8% | ||
| Value of Benefits | ||||
| Core Compensation | Median | % of Total | ||
| Social Security | $7,749 | 5.5% | ||
| 401K/403B | $4,255 | 3.0% | ||
| Disability | $2,026 | 1.4% | ||
| Healthcare | $8,352 | 5.9% | ||
| Pension | $5,470 | 3.9% | ||
| Time Off | $12,468 | 8.8% | ||
| Total Compensation | $141,620 | 100% | ||
| Degree Level | % of user with this level of education |
|---|---|
| No Diploma | 1.4% |
| High School | 24.8% |
| Associates | 45.3% |
| Bachelors | 23.3% |
| Masters | 4.2% |
| Doctorate | 1.0% |
What Am I Worth?
The average annual salary of Head Chef is $98,700. In case you are finding an easy salary calculator, the average hourly pay of Head Chef is $47; the average weekly pay of Head Chef is $1,898; the average monthly pay of Head Chef is $8,225.
A Head Chef's earning potential can vary widely depending on several factors, including location, industry, experience, education, and the specific employer. According to the latest salary data by Salary.com, a Head Chef earns the most in San Jose, CA, where the annual salary of a Head Chef is $123,800.
The highest pay for Head Chef is $126,593.
The lowest pay for Head Chef is $74,628.
The Head Chef creates and updates menus to maximize profits and minimize loss. Directs and oversees the operations of the kitchen(s), including menu development, inventory and purchasing of supplies, cost control and sanitation. Being a Head Chef monitors customer satisfaction. Tests and develops recipes. In addition, Head Chef is responsible for supervising and training staff. Requires an understanding of federal, state, and local food sanitation regulations. Requires a bachelor's degree. Typically reports to top management. The Head Chef typically manages through subordinate managers and professionals in larger groups of moderate complexity. Provides input to strategic decisions that affect the functional area of responsibility. May give input into developing the budget. Working as a Head Chef typically requires 3+ years of managerial experience. Capable of resolving escalated issues arising from operations and requiring coordination with other departments.
Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.
Leadership: Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
Food Safety: Applying procedures during food preparation, processing, storage, and distribution to ensure consumers are safe from foodborne illnesses.
Merchandising: In the broadest sense, merchandising is any practice which contributes to the sale of products to a retail consumer. At a retail in-store level, merchandising refers to the variety of products available for sale and the display of those products in such a way that it stimulates interest and entices customers to make a purchase. In the profession of merchandising you are either employed by the store in which you work, or by an independent distributor. As a professional merchandiser, in a retail setting, you will not only know your products(I.e. coffee, juice, soda, etc.) but you will gauge other “vendors” like products as you tend to your job. Working with the store and other merchandisers, shelf space is often given or taken as need be in some locations(for some young merchandisers this is known as “war”) In retail commerce, visual display merchandising means merchandise sales using product design, selection, packaging, pricing, and display that stimulates consumers to spend more. This includes disciplines and discounting, physical presentation of products and displays, and the decisions about which products should be presented to which customers at what time.
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