The average annual salaries for chefs and head cooks in the state of North Carolina are shown in Table 1. The comparison of the salary statistics of chefs and head cooks amongst North Carolina metropolitan areas is shown in Table 2. The salary statistics are based on the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].
| Percentile bracket | Average annual salary |
|---|---|
| 10th Percentile Wage | $41,010 |
| 25th Percentile Wage | $46,670 |
| 50th Percentile Wage | $56,320 |
| 75th Percentile Wage | $66,800 |
| 90th Percentile Wage | $79,160 |
Table 1 shows the average annual salary for chefs and head cooks in North Carolina in 5 percentile scales. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is $79,160. The median (50th percentile) annual salary is $56,320. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $41,010.
The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of chefs and head cooks from 2012 to 2022.
| Year | Median Salary | Yearly Growth | 10-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $56,320 | 11.75% | 18.16% |
| 2021 | $49,700 | -3.36% | - |
| 2020 | $51,370 | 2.74% | - |
| 2019 | $49,960 | 5.78% | - |
| 2018 | $47,070 | -1.49% | - |
| 2017 | $47,770 | 1.03% | - |
| 2016 | $47,280 | 4.38% | - |
| 2015 | $45,210 | -4.56% | - |
| 2014 | $47,270 | 0.13% | - |
| 2013 | $47,210 | 2.37% | - |
| 2012 | $46,090 | - | - |
Table 3 shows the median annual salary of chefs and head cooks in some North Carolina cities and metropolitan areas. We note that the median annual salary of chefs and head cooks in state of North Carolina ranges from $34,960 to $60,630. The highest paying area for chefs and head cooks in North Carolina is Western Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area with a median annual salary of $60,630. The second highest paying city/area in North Carolina State is Northeastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area (mean annual salary $59,660). The lowest paying area is New Bern with a median annual salary of $34,960.