The highest-paying states for chefs and head cooks (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment of chefs and head cooks in those states are also shown in the table. As shown in the table, with an annual salary of $87,730, Hawaii is the highest paying state for chefs and head cooks. It is followed by Rhode Island (average annual salary $77,210). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in April 2023 [1]. For more salary information of chefs and head cooks in a specific state, use the links in the table.
| Rank | State | Average Salary i | Entry Level Salary i |
# of Empl. i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $87,730 |
$47,900 | 1,020 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $77,210 |
$41,590 | 620 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $74,020 |
$45,830 | 4,540 |
| 4 | New York | $70,720 |
$43,330 | 10,190 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $64,990 |
$33,280 | 6,660 |
| 6 | Washington | $63,540 |
$44,720 | 3,700 |
| 7 | Arizona | $62,790 |
$38,130 | 2,320 |
| 8 | California | $62,400 |
$41,770 | 19,790 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $61,930 |
$49,340 | 1,570 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $59,970 |
$35,380 | 80 |
| 11 | Colorado | $59,970 |
$43,700 | 3,800 |
| 12 | Wyoming | $58,920 |
$22,710 | 320 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $58,920 |
$42,000 | 4,480 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $58,890 |
$37,700 | 940 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $58,690 |
$35,020 | 4,530 |
| 16 | Delaware | $57,990 |
$44,580 | 540 |
| 17 | Maryland | $57,410 |
$32,360 | 2,770 |
| 18 | Tennessee | $57,410 |
$37,040 | 2,060 |
| 19 | Georgia | $56,990 |
$35,730 | 4,390 |
| 20 | Illinois | $56,380 |
$32,350 | 6,760 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $56,320 |
$41,010 | 3,590 |
| 22 | Michigan | $55,990 |
$36,940 | 4,010 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $55,770 |
$27,570 | 370 |
| 24 | Alabama | $55,740 |
$42,120 | 510 |
| 25 | Maine | $55,650 |
$40,090 | 1,330 |
| 26 | Vermont | $54,580 |
$38,270 | 1,070 |
| 27 | Missouri | $53,710 |
$34,770 | 1,710 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $53,580 |
$37,170 | 1,360 |
| 29 | Florida | $52,600 |
$32,350 | 14,270 |
| 30 | Alaska | $51,810 |
$36,670 | 760 |
| 31 | Oregon | $49,980 |
$38,000 | 2,530 |
| 32 | Utah | $49,490 |
$35,650 | 1,660 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $49,290 |
$28,480 | 2,280 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $49,190 |
$34,720 | 2,200 |
| 35 | Kansas | $49,120 |
$32,720 | 960 |
| 36 | Virginia | $48,190 |
$33,240 | 3,690 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $48,070 |
$31,030 | 360 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $47,660 |
$27,440 | 690 |
| 39 | Nevada | $47,540 |
$37,370 | 4,330 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $47,400 |
$31,660 | 1,490 |
| 41 | Indiana | $47,250 |
$31,200 | 1,460 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $46,050 |
$36,400 | 990 |
| 43 | Iowa | $45,040 |
$32,510 | 1,170 |
| 44 | Texas | $44,760 |
$23,000 | 17,000 |
| 45 | Ohio | $44,630 |
$32,070 | 4,350 |
| 46 | Montana | $44,350 |
$34,310 | 290 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $43,350 |
$36,500 | 180 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $41,630 |
$23,670 | 490 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $39,980 |
$19,990 | 2,330 |
| 50 | Virgin Islands | $38,990 |
$30,960 | 160 |
| 51 | Guam | $36,890 |
$22,350 | 130 |
| 52 | Idaho | $36,430 |
$22,810 | 880 |
| 53 | Puerto Rico | $33,780 |
$19,870 | 560 |
| 54 | Mississippi | $32,720 |
$25,330 | 810 |