How does Chefs and Head Cooks pay in California compare to the national average?

California Chefs and Head Cooks salaries are 9% above the US national median of $60,990 per year.

What is the salary range for a Chefs and Head Cooks in California?

Chefs and Head Cooks salaries in California range from $45,500 (10th percentile) to $100,580 (90th percentile) per year, per 2024 BLS OEWS data.

Chefs and Head Cooks Salary in California

SOC 35-1011 · State · 2024 BLS OEWS

The median salary for a Chefs and Head Cooks in California is $66,780 per year as of 2024. That works out to roughly $32.11 per hour. This is 9% above the national median of $60,990. 26,500 people work as Chefs and Head Cooks in California. Wages have grown 67% since 2014, when the median was $39,900.

Median Annual Salary

$66,780

Mean Annual

$71,350

Median Hourly

$32.11

Total Employed

26,500

Location Quotient

1.24

Average concentration

Salary Distribution

$46k

10th

$55k

25th

$67k

Median

$80k

75th

$101k

90th

How This Compares

California

$66,780

this metro

United States

$60,990

you earn +9% vs US

Salary Trend

View data table

Year	Median Annual	Mean Annual	Employment
2024	$66,780	$71,350	26,500
2023	$60,930	$67,150	27,460
2022	$62,400	$69,000	19,790
2021	$50,570	$60,670	19,760
2020	$58,270	$67,400	15,960
2019	$50,590	$61,040	21,370
2018	$46,360	$51,400	19,420
2017	$48,450	$52,720	18,350
2016	$46,310	$49,810	18,610
2015	$41,240	$45,810	19,290
2014	$39,900	$45,340	15,840

Related Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations Jobs in California

Other occupations in the same group, sorted by salary.

First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers	$46,140
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria	$45,680
Cooks, Restaurant	$44,290
Cooks, All Other	$39,430
Cooks, Short Order	$39,010
Food Preparation Workers	$38,150

View all Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations jobs in California →