Entry Level Chef Salary
$21K - $27.5K
5% of jobs
$27.5K - $34K
17% of jobs
$35K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$34K - $40.5K
22% of jobs
The median wage is $44.1K / yr.
$40.5K - $47K
11% of jobs
$47K - $53.5K
11% of jobs
$53.5K - $60K
9% of jobs
$60.4K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$60K - $66.5K
8% of jobs
$66.5K - $73K
6% of jobs
$73K - $79.5K
4% of jobs
$79.5K - $86K
5% of jobs
$86K - $92.5K
2% of jobs
$21K
$45K
$93K
$51,225
/year
$24.63
/hour
Entry Level Chef Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$51,225
Columbus
Ohio
$49,478
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How much does an Entry Level Chef make?
As of Jul 26, 2026, the average annual pay for an Entry Level Chef 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 Entry Level Chef 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 an Entry Level Chef 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.
An Entry Level Chef 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 Entry Level Chef salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Entry Level Chef jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as an Entry Level Chef on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Entry Level Chef Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an Entry Level Chef job is above the national average. Topping the list is Soledad, CA, , with Wasco, CA, and Nome, AK, close behind in the second and third positions. Nome, AK, beats the national average by $12,319 (24.0%), and Soledad, CA, furthers that trend with another $25,403 (49.6%) 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 an Entry Level Chef appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
However, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies modestly at 23% between Soledad, CA, and Snowmass Village, CO, , suggesting it may be difficult to see much positive wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may help determine the balance between location and salary for an Entry Level Chef role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Soledad, CA | $76,628 | $36.84 |
Wasco, CA | $65,758 | $31.61 |
Nome, AK | $63,544 | $30.55 |
Berkeley, CA | $62,722 | $30.15 |
Denali National Park, AK | $62,696 | $30.14 |
San Carlos, CA | $61,853 | $29.74 |
Sitka, AK | $61,710 | $29.67 |
South San Francisco, CA | $61,556 | $29.59 |
Waimea, HI | $61,027 | $29.34 |
Snowmass Village, CO | $60,744 | $29.20 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Entry Level Chef Jobs in the U.S.
Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Entry Level Chef job category, we found that Chef De Partie jobs have average salaries similar than Entry Level Chef jobs.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Chef De Partie | $44,776 | $21.53 |
Cook 1 | $36,873 | $17.73 |
Food Pantry Manager | $35,772 | $17.20 |
Cooking | $35,582 | $17.11 |
Restaurant Line Cook | $32,189 | $15.48 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
