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Head Cook salary
Average head cook salary
$44,412
How much does a head cook make?
The average head cook salary in the United States is $44,412. Head cook salaries typically range between $32,000 and $61,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for head cooks is $21.35 per hour.
Head cook salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Head cooks earn the highest average salary in New Jersey.
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Where can a Head Cook earn more?
Head Cook Salaries By Experience Level
Head Cook salary estimates from across the web
Average head cook salary by state
Highest paying states for head cooks
Rank  | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | $56,176 | $27.01 |
| 2 | Nevada | $54,697 | $26.30 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $71,162 | $34.21 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $50,487 | $24.27 |
| 5 | Georgia | $49,778 | $23.93 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $54,147 | $26.03 |
| 7 | Washington | $56,621 | $27.22 |
| 8 | Michigan | $46,328 | $22.27 |
| 9 | Alaska | $53,319 | $25.63 |
| 10 | Wyoming | $46,659 | $22.43 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $53,346 | $25.65 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $59,571 | $28.64 |
| 13 | Maine | $49,170 | $23.64 |
| 14 | Maryland | $51,006 | $24.52 |
| 15 | Missouri | $44,107 | $21.21 |
| 16 | Virginia | $49,286 | $23.70 |
| 17 | Tennessee | $41,050 | $19.74 |
| 18 | Colorado | $45,788 | $22.01 |
| 19 | California | $51,256 | $24.64 |
| 20 | Arizona | $43,043 | $20.69 |
| 21 | Illinois | $44,397 | $21.34 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $42,007 | $20.20 |
| 23 | Ohio | $40,855 | $19.64 |
| 24 | Indiana | $40,923 | $19.67 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $46,927 | $22.56 |
| 26 | Alabama | $42,009 | $20.20 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $39,743 | $19.11 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $39,822 | $19.15 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $41,803 | $20.10 |
| 30 | New York | $46,693 | $22.45 |
| 31 | Oregon | $45,210 | $21.74 |
| 32 | Florida | $40,765 | $19.60 |
| 33 | Mississippi | $39,231 | $18.86 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $42,701 | $20.53 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $39,651 | $19.06 |
| 36 | Delaware | $43,097 | $20.72 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $40,558 | $19.50 |
| 38 | District of Columbia | $47,316 | $22.75 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $37,601 | $18.08 |
| 40 | Idaho | $39,737 | $19.10 |
| 41 | Connecticut | $41,542 | $19.97 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $35,269 | $16.96 |
| 43 | West Virginia | $37,397 | $17.98 |
| 44 | Montana | $38,308 | $18.42 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $38,748 | $18.63 |
| 46 | Kansas | $34,779 | $16.72 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $37,877 | $18.21 |
| 48 | Iowa | $35,955 | $17.29 |
| 49 | Utah | $36,292 | $17.45 |
| 50 | Vermont | $36,409 | $17.50 |
| 51 | Wisconsin | $32,406 | $15.58 |
Highest paying cities for head cooks
The highest-paying cities for head cooks are San Antonio, TX, Seattle, WA, and Las Vegas, NV.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Antonio, TX | $57,577 | $27.68 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $56,908 | $27.36 |
| 3 | Las Vegas, NV | $54,666 | $26.28 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $53,351 | $25.65 |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | $52,221 | $25.11 |
| 6 | Philadelphia, PA | $51,419 | $24.72 |
| 7 | Baltimore, MD | $51,369 | $24.70 |
| 8 | Alexandria, VA | $50,348 | $24.21 |
| 9 | Washington, DC | $47,339 | $22.76 |
| 10 | New York, NY | $46,875 | $22.54 |
| 11 | Boulder, CO | $45,840 | $22.04 |
| 12 | Buffalo Grove, IL | $44,452 | $21.37 |
| 13 | Phoenix, AZ | $43,035 | $20.69 |
| 14 | Fayetteville, NC | $42,151 | $20.26 |
| 15 | Southington, CT | $41,450 | $19.93 |
| 16 | Miami, FL | $40,494 | $19.47 |
| 17 | Fargo, ND | $40,034 | $19.25 |
| 18 | Tulsa, OK | $39,473 | $18.98 |
| 19 | Houma, LA | $38,085 | $18.31 |
| 20 | Ogden, UT | $36,058 | $17.34 |
Head Cook salary details
A head cook's salary ranges from $32,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $61,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a head cook's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $61,000 | $5,083 | $29 |
| 75th Percentile | $52,000 | $4,333 | $25 |
| Average | $44,412 | $3,701 | $21 |
| 25th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
| 10th Percentile | $32,000 | $2,667 | $15 |
Highest paying head cook jobs
The highest paying types of head cooks are head chef, pastry cook, and banquet cook.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook/Dietary Aide | $27,490 | $2,291 | $13.22 | 163,273 |
| Cook/Dishwasher | $31,703 | $2,642 | $15.24 | 133,000 |
| Line Cook, Prep Cook | $32,982 | $2,748 | $15.86 | 164,756 |
| Grill Cook | $31,895 | $2,658 | $15.33 | 184,603 |
| Kitchen Cook | $31,452 | $2,621 | $15.12 | 250,354 |
| Fry Cook | $30,622 | $2,552 | $14.72 | 246,323 |
Top companies hiring head cooks now:
Which companies pay head cooks the most?
Head cook salaries at Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics and Anthony are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average head cook salary at companies like Sherpa and HealthTrust are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics | $61,031 | $29.34 |
| 2 | Anthony | $50,247 | $24.16 |
| 3 | Sherpa | $48,727 | $23.43 |
| 4 | HealthTrust | $48,203 | $23.17 |
| 5 | Remote | $47,398 | $22.79 |
| 6 | Annapurna Pictures | $46,805 | $22.50 |
| 7 | P B Holdings | $46,752 | $22.48 |
| 8 | Westchester | $46,752 | $22.48 |
| 9 | ZK Software | $46,752 | $22.48 |
| 10 | Sanford-Good Samaritan Community Health | $46,752 | $22.48 |
| 11 | MID-Sioux Opportunity Inc | $46,752 | $22.48 |
| 12 | Food systems | $46,719 | $22.46 |
| 13 | Embassy C E S | $46,403 | $22.31 |
| 14 | Sushi Ran | $45,621 | $21.93 |
| 15 | Northern Tier | $45,553 | $21.90 |
| 16 | First Atlantic | $45,406 | $21.83 |
| 17 | gen-E | $45,324 | $21.79 |
| 18 | Taher, Inc. Professional Food Service Management | $45,250 | $21.75 |
| 19 | Farm & Wilderness | $45,244 | $21.75 |
| 20 | Dickinson College | $45,154 | $21.71 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Head Cook salary trends
The average head cook salary has risen by $9,177 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average head cook earned $35,235 annually, but today, they earn $44,412 a year. That works out to a 24% change in pay for head cooks over the last decade.
Compare head cook salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average head cook salary over time
Compare head cook salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
- National Average
Head Cook salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $44,400 | $21.35 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $42,900 | $20.61 | +6.0% |
| 2023 | $40,300 | $19.38 | +5.2% |
| 2022 | $38,200 | $18.38 | +6.0% |
| 2021 | $35,900 | $17.27 | +3.9% |
Recently added head cook salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collegedroid | Chefs and Head Cooks | Tucson, AZ | 12/16/2024 | $56,920 |
| Missoula County Public Schools | Assistant Head Cook-Sentinel High School | Pony, MT | 12/13/2024 | $34,436 |
| Genesee Education Consultant Services | Head Cook-Child Nutrition | Bowne, MI | 12/13/2024 | $31,305 |
| Lathrop R-II Schools | HS Head Cook | Lathrop, MO | 12/13/2024 | $26,296 |
| Hutchinson USD #308 | Head Cook | Lane, KS | 12/13/2024 | $32,870 |
| Ohio Department of Education | Head Cook (7)-Snowhill Elementary School | Dayton, OH | 12/11/2024 | $39,382 |
| Springfield City Schools | Head Cook (7)-Snowhill Elementary School | Springfield, OH | 12/11/2024 | $39,382 |
| Acacia Network | Head Cook | Buffalo, NY | 12/11/2024 | $30,000 |
| Calpacumc | Head Cook, Seasonal-Camp Cedar Glen (California-Pacific Conference) California-Pacific Conference | Ione, CA | 12/11/2024 | $40,697 |
| ASM Global Group | Head Cook | Stockton, CA | 12/10/2024 | $38,610 |
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