The average salary for a culinary chef in the United States is around $37,904 per year.
Avg Salary
Culinary chefs earn an average yearly salary of $37,904.
Wages typically start from $20,868 and go up to $68,847.
36% below national average Updated in 2019
Culinary chef earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level culinary chef earnings begin at:
$33.10 per hour
$68,847 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level culinary chef earnings begin at:
$24.95 per hour
$51,893 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level culinary chef earnings begin at:
$18.22 per hour
$37,904 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level culinary chef earnings begin at:
$13.31 per hour
$27,686 per year
10th percentile
Starting level culinary chef earnings begin at:
$10.03 per hour
$20,868 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Culinary chef salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $74,510 |
| New Jersey | $66,790 |
| District of Columbia | $63,150 |
| West Virginia | $58,570 |
| Delaware | $57,340 |
| Washington | $56,450 |
| Wyoming | $56,150 |
| Massachusetts | $56,070 |
| Rhode Island | $54,360 |
| Virginia | $53,000 |
| Nevada | $52,930 |
| New York | $52,010 |
| New Hampshire | $51,790 |
| Alaska | $51,660 |
| Georgia | $51,330 |
| Texas | $50,580 |
| New Mexico | $50,220 |
| Colorado | $49,830 |
| Connecticut | $49,546 |
| Indiana | $49,450 |
| Maryland | $49,390 |
| Missouri | $49,250 |
| Maine | $48,780 |
| Florida | $48,710 |
| Minnesota | $48,580 |
| Michigan | $48,320 |
| Mississippi | $47,750 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $47,200 |
| North Carolina | $47,070 |
| Alabama | $47,030 |
| Oregon | $46,790 |
| California | $46,360 |
| Tennessee | $45,890 |
| Louisiana | $45,730 |
| North Dakota | $45,420 |
| Kentucky | $45,082 |
| South Dakota | $43,800 |
| Montana | $43,030 |
| Vermont | $42,770 |
| Oklahoma | $42,140 |
| Nebraska | $40,970 |
| Wisconsin | $40,480 |
| Arkansas | $40,300 |
| Ohio | $40,270 |
| Illinois | $39,758 |
| Iowa | $39,604 |
| Kansas | $39,457 |
| Idaho | $38,590 |
| South Carolina | $38,460 |
| Pennsylvania | $38,402 |
| Utah | $38,180 |
| Arizona | $34,489 |
| Puerto Rico | $32,380 |
| Guam | $23,800 |
How do culinary chef salaries compare to similar careers?
Culinary chefs earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than registered dietitian nutritionists but more than butchers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Registered dietitian nutritionist salary | $61K |
| Brewmaster salary | $41K |
| Culinary chef salary | $38K |
| Restaurant manager salary | $38K |
| Bartender salary | $38K |
| Personal chef salary | $36K |
| Butcher salary | $34K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)