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Chef/Catering salary
Average chef/catering salary
$47,693
How much does a chef/catering make?
The average chef/catering salary in the United States is $47,693. Chef/catering salaries typically range between $27,000 and $84,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for chef/caterings is $22.93 per hour.
Chef/catering salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Chef/caterings earn the highest average salary in New Jersey.
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Where can a Chef/Catering earn more?
Chef/Catering Salaries By Experience Level
Average chef/catering salary by state
Highest paying states for chef/caterings
Rank  | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $71,120 | $34.19 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $66,168 | $31.81 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $67,843 | $32.62 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $90,173 | $43.35 |
| 5 | New York | $65,998 | $31.73 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $60,746 | $29.20 |
| 7 | Nevada | $60,064 | $28.88 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $73,009 | $35.10 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $61,147 | $29.40 |
| 10 | Michigan | $56,142 | $26.99 |
| 11 | California | $65,922 | $31.69 |
| 12 | Arizona | $50,976 | $24.51 |
| 13 | Ohio | $54,534 | $26.22 |
| 14 | Alaska | $49,954 | $24.02 |
| 15 | Indiana | $49,571 | $23.83 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $64,463 | $30.99 |
| 17 | Virginia | $49,850 | $23.97 |
| 18 | Delaware | $54,161 | $26.04 |
| 19 | Texas | $47,803 | $22.98 |
| 20 | Maryland | $53,399 | $25.67 |
| 21 | Maine | $51,637 | $24.83 |
| 22 | Mississippi | $47,660 | $22.91 |
| 23 | Georgia | $46,518 | $22.36 |
| 24 | Illinois | $51,530 | $24.77 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $43,994 | $21.15 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $45,124 | $21.69 |
| 27 | Florida | $44,664 | $21.47 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $46,765 | $22.48 |
| 29 | Alabama | $44,562 | $21.42 |
| 30 | Washington | $48,184 | $23.17 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $44,234 | $21.27 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $45,259 | $21.76 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $41,278 | $19.85 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $41,404 | $19.91 |
| 35 | Colorado | $40,567 | $19.50 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $42,544 | $20.45 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $41,555 | $19.98 |
| 38 | Montana | $35,621 | $17.13 |
| 39 | Missouri | $41,892 | $20.14 |
| 40 | Oregon | $43,472 | $20.90 |
| 41 | New Mexico | $43,477 | $20.90 |
| 42 | Vermont | $42,032 | $20.21 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $36,540 | $17.57 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $40,009 | $19.24 |
| 45 | Utah | $31,759 | $15.27 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $38,752 | $18.63 |
| 47 | Iowa | $38,848 | $18.68 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $37,467 | $18.01 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $35,826 | $17.22 |
| 50 | Kansas | $34,281 | $16.48 |
| 51 | Idaho | $28,352 | $13.63 |
Highest paying cities for chef/caterings
The highest-paying cities for chef/caterings are Newark, NJ, Philadelphia, PA, and Santa Cruz, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newark, NJ | $90,275 | $43.40 |
| 2 | Philadelphia, PA | $74,010 | $35.58 |
| 3 | Santa Cruz, CA | $69,792 | $33.55 |
| 4 | Manchester, NH | $67,857 | $32.62 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $66,383 | $31.91 |
| 6 | Providence, RI | $66,066 | $31.76 |
| 7 | Worcester, MA | $61,316 | $29.48 |
| 8 | Westport, CT | $60,970 | $29.31 |
| 9 | Las Vegas, NV | $59,952 | $28.82 |
| 10 | Chesterfield, MI | $57,250 | $27.52 |
| 11 | Towson, MD | $53,716 | $25.82 |
| 12 | Chicago, IL | $51,896 | $24.95 |
| 13 | Winchester, VA | $51,047 | $24.54 |
| 14 | Mesa, AZ | $50,764 | $24.41 |
| 15 | Seattle, WA | $48,507 | $23.32 |
| 16 | Austin, TX | $48,289 | $23.22 |
| 17 | Chapel Hill, NC | $46,334 | $22.28 |
| 18 | Portland, OR | $42,899 | $20.62 |
| 19 | Florence, SC | $42,059 | $20.22 |
| 20 | Kansas City, MO | $41,498 | $19.95 |
Chef/Catering salary details
A chef/catering's salary ranges from $27,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $84,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a chef/catering's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $84,000 | $7,000 | $40 |
| 75th Percentile | $64,000 | $5,333 | $31 |
| Average | $47,693 | $3,974 | $23 |
| 25th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
| 10th Percentile | $27,000 | $2,250 | $13 |
Highest paying chef/catering jobs
The highest paying types of chef/caterings are executive chef, chef manager, and chef de cuisine.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head Cook | $44,412 | $3,701 | $21.35 | 156,227 |
| Cooking Chef | $34,973 | $2,914 | $16.81 | 136,558 |
| Banquet Chef | $48,026 | $4,002 | $23.09 | 23,474 |
| Pastry Chef | $44,879 | $3,740 | $21.58 | 18,844 |
| Sushi Chef | $42,969 | $3,581 | $20.66 | 17,846 |
| Head Chef | $45,470 | $3,789 | $21.86 | 27,331 |
Top companies hiring chef/caterings now:
Which companies pay chef/caterings the most?
Chef/catering salaries at Cornell University and University of California, Berkeley are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average chef/catering salary at companies like Daniels Lounge and Goodwin Recruiting are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cornell University | $86,113 | $41.40 |
| 2 | University of California-Berkeley | $55,253 | $26.56 |
| 3 | Daniels Lounge | $53,534 | $25.74 |
| 4 | Goodwin Recruiting | $53,420 | $25.68 |
| 5 | PLUM | $52,095 | $25.05 |
| 6 | Sodexo Management, Inc. | $51,850 | $24.93 |
| 7 | Gourmet Caterers | $50,408 | $24.23 |
| 8 | Cal-am Properties, Inc. | $39,398 | $18.94 |
| 9 | Chapel Hill Country Club | $36,672 | $17.63 |
| 10 | Buehler | $36,598 | $17.60 |
| 11 | Compass Group USA | $35,275 | $16.96 |
| 12 | University Health | $34,266 | $16.47 |
| 13 | Vail Resorts | $33,088 | $15.91 |
| 14 | Alterra Mountain | $32,726 | $15.73 |
| 15 | Stadium | $32,709 | $15.73 |
| 16 | Aramark | $31,748 | $15.26 |
| 17 | University of Richmond | $30,199 | $14.52 |
| 18 | Elite Hospitality | $30,020 | $14.43 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Chef/Catering salary by industry
The average chef/catering salary varies across industries:
- The average chef/catering salary in the technology industry is $44,624, the highest of any industry.
- The average chef/catering salary in the finance industry is $37,183.
- Chef/caterings in the retail industry earn an average salary of $34,925, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for chef/caterings
| Rank | Industry | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $44,624 | $21.45 |
| 2 | Hospitality | $37,183 | $17.88 |
| 3 | Health Care | $36,595 | $17.59 |
| 4 | Retail | $34,925 | $16.79 |
High Paying Chef/Catering Jobs
Chef/Catering salary trends
The average chef/catering salary has risen by $9,855 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average chef/catering earned $37,838 annually, but today, they earn $47,693 a year. That works out to a 24% change in pay for chef/caterings over the last decade.
Compare chef/catering salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average chef/catering salary over time
Compare chef/catering salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
- National Average
- Columbus, OH
Chef/Catering salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $47,700 | $22.93 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $46,000 | $22.13 | +6.0% |
| 2023 | $43,300 | $20.82 | +5.2% |
| 2022 | $41,100 | $19.74 | +6.0% |
| 2021 | $38,600 | $18.55 | +3.9% |
Recently added chef/catering salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live Nation Entertainment | Catering Chef | Wheatland, CA | 12/15/2024 | $50,088 |
| Compass Group | Catering Production Chef and (1378118) | Kane, PA | 12/12/2024 | $37,566 |
| Chartwells Higher Ed-St. Johns University | Catering Chef | New York, NY | 12/12/2024 | $65,000 |
| Nexdine LLC | Catering Chef | Worcester, MA | 12/11/2024 | $45,914 |
| JT's Urban Italian-Buffalo | Event and Catering Chef | Buffalo, NY | 12/10/2024 | $60,000 |
| Chartwells Higher Education | Catering Chef | Fine, NY | 12/07/2024 | $65,000 |
| Restaurant Associates | Catering Production Chef and | Kennett Square, PA | 12/04/2024 | $37,566 |
| Williams College | Catering Chef | Campus, IL | 12/03/2024 | $62,610 |
| The Springs Events | Catering Chef | Euless, TX | 12/01/2024 | $37,566 |
| Bosc & Brie | Awesome Catering/College Dining Chef | Columbus, OH | 11/27/2024 | $37,566 |
Chef/Catering salary FAQs
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