The average salary for a culinary chef in North Carolina is around $61,130 per year.
Avg Salary
Culinary chefs earn an average yearly salary of $61,130.
Wages typically start from $38,210 and go up to $92,210.
7% below national average Updated in 2025
Culinary chef earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level culinary chef earnings begin at:
$44.33 per hour
$92,210 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level culinary chef earnings begin at:
$36.70 per hour
$76,330 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level culinary chef earnings begin at:
$29.39 per hour
$61,130 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level culinary chef earnings begin at:
$23.25 per hour
$48,360 per year
10th percentile
Starting level culinary chef earnings begin at:
$18.37 per hour
$38,210 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Culinary chef salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $79,930 |
| Hawaii | $77,360 |
| District of Columbia | $76,420 |
| Washington | $76,010 |
| North Dakota | $74,740 |
| New Jersey | $74,280 |
| Wyoming | $73,170 |
| South Carolina | $71,860 |
| New York | $70,670 |
| Tennessee | $69,810 |
| Massachusetts | $69,540 |
| Georgia | $66,230 |
| Vermont | $65,440 |
| Colorado | $65,400 |
| California | $64,500 |
| Missouri | $64,480 |
| Connecticut | $64,310 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,860 |
| Oregon | $63,600 |
| New Hampshire | $63,400 |
| Virginia | $63,270 |
| Minnesota | $62,600 |
| Alabama | $62,400 |
| Nevada | $62,380 |
| New Mexico | $62,250 |
| Maryland | $61,590 |
| Delaware | $61,440 |
| Wisconsin | $61,300 |
| North Carolina | $61,130 |
| West Virginia | $61,100 |
| Nebraska | $60,510 |
| Michigan | $60,070 |
| Arizona | $59,890 |
| Utah | $59,060 |
| Illinois | $58,830 |
| Oklahoma | $58,540 |
| Kansas | $58,390 |
| Florida | $58,240 |
| Montana | $57,470 |
| Maine | $57,010 |
| Texas | $56,080 |
| Mississippi | $54,850 |
| Ohio | $53,990 |
| Alaska | $52,190 |
| Indiana | $52,190 |
| Idaho | $52,000 |
| South Dakota | $48,470 |
| Kentucky | $48,070 |
| Iowa | $47,990 |
| Arkansas | $46,170 |
| Louisiana | $45,570 |
| Guam | $39,340 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $36,750 |
| Puerto Rico | $28,360 |
How do culinary chef salaries compare to similar careers?
Culinary chefs earn 17% more than similar careers in North Carolina. On average, they make less than restaurant managers but more than food batchmakers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Restaurant manager salary | $74K |
| Registered dietitian salary | $68K |
| Culinary chef salary | $61K |
| Brewmaster salary | $49K |
| Bartender salary | $36K |
| Butcher salary | $38K |
| Food batchmaker salary | $37K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)