Chef Pay

Chef Pay Salary

$21K

$45K

$93K

$51,225

/year

$24.63

/hour

Chef Pay Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$51,225

Columbus

Ohio

$49,478

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    How much does a Chef Pay make?

    As of Aug 26, 2026, the average annual pay for a Chef Pay in the United States is $51,225 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $24.63 an hour. This is the equivalent of $985/week or $4,268/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $93,000 and as low as $21,000, the majority of Chef Pay salaries currently range between $35,000 (25th percentile) to $64,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $84,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Chef Pay varies greatly (by as much as 29500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    A Chef Pay in your area makes on average $49,478 per year, or $1,747 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $51,225. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Chef Pay salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Chef Pay jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as a Chef Pay on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Chef Pay Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Chef Pay job is above the national average. Topping the list is Nome, AK, , with Hettinger, ND, and Denali National Park, AK, close behind in the second and third positions. Denali National Park, AK, beats the national average by $11,471 (22.4%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $12,319 (24.0%) above the $51,225 average.

    With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Chef Pay appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 5% between Nome, AK, and Santa Clara, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Chef Pay role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Nome, AK

    $63,544

    $30.55

    Hettinger, ND

    $63,316

    $30.44

    Denali National Park, AK

    $62,696

    $30.14

    Marin County, CA

    $62,004

    $29.81

    Aspen, CO

    $61,916

    $29.77

    Sitka, AK

    $61,710

    $29.67

    Waimea, HI

    $61,027

    $29.34

    San Francisco, CA

    $60,401

    $29.04

    Redmond, WA

    $60,349

    $29.01

    Santa Clara, CA

    $60,161

    $28.92

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Chef Pay Jobs in the U.S.

    We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Chef Pay category.

    For example Goodwin Recruiting jobs pay as much as $25,375 (49.5%) more than the average Chef Pay salary of $51,225. If you're qualified, finding work as a Goodwin Recruiting may help you make more money than that of the average Chef Pay position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Goodwin Recruiting

    $76,600

    $36.83

    Senior Sous Chef

    $68,041

    $32.71

    Avidity Biosciences

    $64,443

    $30.98

    Restaurant Kitchen Manager

    $57,526

    $27.66

    Chefs

    $43,324

    $20.83

    About Our Data

    ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

    Infographic detailing Chef Pay salary across the United States as of August 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $51,225 per year or $24.63 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.