The average salary for a culinary chef in the United States is around $41,365 per year.
Avg Salary
This is 30% below the national average. Updated in 2018.
Culinary chefs earn an average yearly salary of $41,365. Wages typically start from $22,466 and go up to $76,161.
Culinary chef earnings by seniority
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 |
| Delaware | $57,340 |
| Washington | $56,450 |
| Massachusetts | $56,070 |
| Nevada | $52,930 |
| New Mexico | $50,220 |
| New York | $52,010 |
| Virginia | $53,000 |
| Alaska | $51,660 |
| Wyoming | $56,150 |
| West Virginia | $58,570 |
| Indiana | $49,450 |
| Missouri | $49,250 |
| Connecticut | $49,546 |
| New Hampshire | $51,790 |
| Alabama | $47,030 |
| Texas | $50,580 |
| Maryland | $49,390 |
| Georgia | $51,330 |
| California | $46,360 |
| Florida | $48,710 |
| Michigan | $48,320 |
| Maine | $48,780 |
| Minnesota | $48,580 |
| Oregon | $46,790 |
| Colorado | $49,830 |
| Louisiana | $45,730 |
| North Carolina | $47,070 |
| Kentucky | $45,082 |
| Mississippi | $47,750 |
| Montana | $43,030 |
| South Dakota | $43,800 |
| Virgin Islands | $47,200 |
| Tennessee | $45,890 |
| Wisconsin | $40,480 |
| Kansas | $39,457 |
| North Dakota | $45,420 |
| Arkansas | $40,300 |
| Vermont | $42,770 |
| Oklahoma | $42,140 |
| Nebraska | $40,970 |
| Illinois | $39,758 |
| Iowa | $39,604 |
| Utah | $38,180 |
| Idaho | $38,590 |
| Pennsylvania | $38,402 |
| Ohio | $40,270 |
| South Carolina | $38,460 |
| 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 | $60K |
| Sommelier salary | $41K |
| Restaurant manager salary | $45K |
| Culinary chef salary | $41K |
| Brewmaster salary | $41K |
| Personal chef salary | $38K |
| Nutritionist salary | $32K |
| Butcher salary | $32K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)