How much does a Development Chef make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Development Chef in the United States is $92,100 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $44.
However, a Development Chef's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $114,452
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $82,500 to $103,800
Key Factors That Influence Development Chef Salaries
A Development Chef's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Development Chef Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Development Chef's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
How Do Development Chef Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Development Cheves. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $101,900.
California: $101,600.
Massachusetts: $100,200.
District of Columbia$101,900
California$101,600
Massachusetts$100,200
Washington$99,800
New Jersey$99,800
Alaska$99,700
Connecticut$98,400
New York$97,900
Hawaii$96,200
Rhode Island$95,500
Maryland$94,900
Minnesota$94,200
Colorado$93,900
Illinois$93,900
Oregon$93,500
Delaware$93,200
New Hampshire$93,100
Virginia$92,700
Pennsylvania$91,700
Nevada$91,100
North Dakota$91,000
Michigan$90,700
Wisconsin$90,600
Vermont$90,400
Maine$89,800
Texas$89,800
Arizona$89,700
Ohio$89,700
Georgia$88,800
Indiana$88,400
Wyoming$88,300
Utah$88,200
Iowa$88,100
Kansas$87,700
Missouri$87,500
Louisiana$87,500
North Carolina$87,500
Florida$87,100
Montana$86,900
Nebraska$86,700
Kentucky$86,600
South Carolina$86,300
Tennessee$86,000
Idaho$86,000
New Mexico$85,300
Oklahoma$85,100
Alabama$84,600
South Dakota$83,700
Arkansas$83,200
West Virginia$82,900
Mississippi$82,100
Top Paying Cities for Development Cheves
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $116,100
San Francisco: $114,900
Oakland: $112,400
San Jose, CA$116,100
San Francisco, CA$114,900
Oakland, CA$112,400
New York, NY$106,000
Paramus, NJ$104,700
Queens Village, NY$104,700
Passaic, NJ$104,600
Bergenfield, NJ$104,600
Huntington, NY$104,400
Stamford, CT$104,400
Newark, NJ$103,700
Bridgeport, CT$103,500
Vallejo, CA$103,300
New Brunswick, NJ$103,300
Petaluma, CA$103,200
Middlesex, NJ$103,100
Somerset, NJ$103,000
Santa Cruz, CA$102,900
Boston, MA$102,300
Monterey, CA$102,000
Seattle, WA$101,800
Santa Rosa, CA$101,800
Los Angeles, CA$101,700
Juneau, AK$101,500
Washington, DC$101,400
Orange, CA$101,100
Santa Ana, CA$100,800
Anchorage, AK$100,700
Anaheim, CA$100,700
Long Beach, CA$100,700
Santa Maria, CA$100,400
Everett, WA$100,400
Danbury, CT$100,000
Bremerton, WA$99,900
Tacoma, WA$99,600
New Suffolk, NY$99,600
Sacramento, CA$99,600
Santa Barbara, CA$99,500
Trenton, NJ$99,400
San Diego, CA$99,400
Brockton, MA$99,300
Fairbanks, AK$99,000
Lompoc, CA$98,800
Lowell, MA$98,700
Ventura, CA$98,700
Nashua, NH$98,700
Stockton, CA$98,700
Modesto, CA$98,000
Poughkeepsie, NY$97,800
Olympia, WA$97,600
Kennewick, WA$97,600
New Haven, CT$97,600
Lawrence, MA$97,300
Hartford, CT$97,200
Riverside, CA$97,100
New Bedford, MA$97,100
Richland, WA$97,100
Atlantic City, NJ$96,900
San Bernardino, CA$96,900
Bakersfield, CA$96,900
New Britain, CT$96,900
New London, CT$96,800
Norwich, CT$96,800
Portsmouth, NH$96,800
Boulder, CO$96,600
Portland, OR$96,500
Worcester, MA$96,500
Minneapolis, MN$96,200
Philadelphia, PA$96,100
Honolulu, HI$95,700
Saint Paul, MN$95,700
Vineland, NJ$95,700
Providence, RI$95,400
Chicago, IL$95,200
Springfield, MA$95,000
Bellingham, WA$95,000
Baltimore, MD$94,900
Chico, CA$94,700
Pittsfield, MA$94,500
Manchester, NH$94,300
Spokane, WA$93,900
Denver, CO$93,900
Albany, NY$93,400
Troy, NY$93,400
Nassau, NY$93,300
Schenectady, NY$93,200
Wilmington, DE$93,100
Burlington, VT$93,000
Salem, OR$93,000
Portland, ME$92,700
Yakima, WA$92,600
Rochester, MN$92,300
Reno, NV$92,300
Fresno, CA$92,300
Milwaukee, WI$92,200
Detroit, MI$92,100
Ann Arbor, MI$92,100
Allentown, PA$92,100
Carson City, NV$91,900
Syracuse, NY$91,900
Colorado Springs, CO$91,900
Houston, TX$91,700
Eugene, OR$91,700
Gary, IN$91,600
Springfield, OR$91,500
Bismarck, ND$91,500
Galveston, TX$91,400
Medford, OR$91,300
Austin, TX$91,200
Concord, NH$91,200
Fort Collins, CO$91,200
Mesa, AZ$91,000
Reading, PA$91,000
Phoenix, AZ$91,000
Dallas, TX$90,900
Saint Cloud, MN$90,800
Madison, WI$90,700
Utica, NY$90,500
Raleigh, NC$90,300
Des Moines, IA$90,300
Rochester, NY$90,300
Atlanta, GA$90,200
Battle Creek, MI$90,100
Salt Lake City, UT$90,100
Lancaster, PA$90,000
Harrisburg, PA$89,800
Boca Raton, FL$89,700
Columbus, OH$89,700
Fort Worth, TX$89,700
Kansas City, KS$89,700
Kansas City, MO$89,700
Champaign, IL$89,700
Pittsburgh, PA$89,600
Richmond, VA$89,600
Indianapolis, IN$89,600
Cleveland, OH$89,600
Cincinnati, OH$89,500
Las Vegas, NV$89,500
Petersburg, VA$89,300
Huntsville, AL$89,200
Lansing, MI$89,100
Lebanon, PA$89,100
Pueblo, CO$89,100
Appleton, WI$89,100
Buffalo, NY$89,000
Dayton, OH$89,000
Racine, WI$89,000
Charlotte, NC$89,000
Saint Louis, MO$89,000
Billings, MT$88,900
Gastonia, NC$88,900
York, PA$88,900
Elkhart, IN$88,900
Beaumont, TX$88,800
Lorain, OH$88,800
Benton Harbor, MI$88,800
Toledo, OH$88,800
Springfield, IL$88,700
Rockford, IL$88,700
Rock Hill, SC$88,700
Binghamton, NY$88,700
Elyria, OH$88,600
Fargo, ND$88,600
Flagstaff, AZ$88,600
Fort Lauderdale, FL$88,500
Duluth, MN$88,500
Miami, FL$88,500
Grand Forks, ND$88,400
Cheyenne, WY$88,400
Bangor, ME$88,200
Cedar Rapids, IA$88,100
Durham, NC$88,100
Louisville, KY$88,100
Grand Rapids, MI$88,000
Hialeah, FL$88,000
Casper, WY$87,900
Scranton, PA$87,800
New Orleans, LA$87,800
Virginia Beach, VA$87,800
Akron, OH$87,700
Peoria, IL$87,600
Sarasota, FL$87,600
Nashville, TN$87,500
Omaha, NE$87,500
Green Bay, WI$87,500
Baton Rouge, LA$87,500
Charleston, SC$87,400
Davenport, IA$87,400
Jamestown, NY$87,400
Tampa, FL$87,300
Tucson, AZ$87,300
Saint Petersburg, FL$87,300
Evansville, IN$87,200
Port Arthur, TX$87,200
Bradenton, FL$87,200
Santa Fe, NM$87,000
Orlando, FL$86,800
Clearwater, FL$86,800
Newport News, VA$86,600
Albuquerque, NM$86,600
La Crosse, WI$86,600
Canton, OH$86,600
High Point, NC$86,500
Ogden, UT$86,500
Corpus Christi, TX$86,400
Norfolk, VA$86,400
Laramie, WY$86,400
Boise, ID$86,300
Salisbury, NC$86,300
Jacksonville, FL$86,300
Saginaw, MI$86,300
Rock Island, IL$86,300
Moline, IL$86,200
Fort Myers, FL$86,200
Memphis, TN$86,200
Tulsa, OK$86,100
Waterloo, IA$86,100
Spartanburg, SC$86,000
Provo, UT$85,900
Lincoln, NE$85,900
Fort Wayne, IN$85,900
Cedar Falls, IA$85,800
San Antonio, TX$85,700
Greensboro, NC$85,700
South Bend, IN$85,700
Savannah, GA$85,600
Muskegon, MI$85,600
Birmingham, AL$85,600
Winston Salem, NC$85,500
Lake Charles, LA$85,300
Anderson, IN$85,300
Augusta, GA$85,200
Lexington, KY$85,200
Greenville, SC$85,200
Wichita, KS$85,100
Lima, OH$85,100
Tuscaloosa, AL$85,100
Springfield, OH$85,000
Columbia, SC$85,000
Asheville, NC$84,900
Bloomington, IN$84,800
Knoxville, TN$84,500
Shreveport, LA$84,500
Wilmington, NC$84,400
Roanoke, VA$84,400
Topeka, KS$84,200
Frankfort, KY$84,200
Melbourne, FL$84,100
Longview, TX$84,100
Oklahoma City, OK$84,100
Chillicothe, OH$84,100
Sioux Falls, SD$83,900
Mobile, AL$83,900
Terre Haute, IN$83,900
Altoona, PA$83,800
Killeen, TX$83,700
Amarillo, TX$83,700
Chattanooga, TN$83,600
Fayetteville, AR$83,600
Sioux City, IA$83,500
Idaho Falls, ID$83,500
Lynchburg, VA$83,400
Gainesville, FL$83,300
Portsmouth, OH$83,300
Little Rock, AR$83,300
Pensacola, FL$83,200
Daytona Beach, FL$83,200
Clarksville, TN$83,200
Lafayette, LA$83,200
Youngstown, OH$83,200
Temple, TX$83,100
Hopkinsville, KY$82,900
Erie, PA$82,900
Florence, SC$82,800
Charleston, WV$82,700
Great Falls, MT$82,600
Waco, TX$82,500
Tallahassee, FL$82,500
Macon, GA$82,500
Fayetteville, NC$82,500
Helena, MT$82,400
Pine Bluff, AR$82,400
Vincennes, IN$82,200
Lubbock, TX$82,200
Alamogordo, NM$82,100
Twin Falls, ID$82,100
Rapid City, SD$82,000
Greenville, MS$81,900
Huntington, WV$81,900
Jackson, MS$81,900
Parkersburg, WV$81,800
Montgomery, AL$81,800
Wichita Falls, TX$81,700
Springfield, MO$81,700
Biloxi, MS$81,600
Monroe, LA$81,500
Johnstown, PA$81,500
Columbus, GA$81,400
Sumter, SC$81,400
Pascagoula, MS$81,200
Abilene, TX$81,200
Kingsport, TN$81,000
Albany, GA$81,000
Gulfport, MS$81,000
Alexandria, LA$80,700
Fort Smith, AR$80,400
El Paso, TX$80,200
Las Cruces, NM$79,800
Harlingen, TX$79,500
Pocatello, ID$79,500
Florence, AL$79,400
Brownsville, TX$79,400
Mcallen, TX$79,200
Dothan, AL$79,100
Columbus, MS$78,500
Altus, OK$78,100
Lawton, OK$77,900
Pierre, SD$77,600
Development Chef Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise
Development Chef salary potential scales significantly with company size.
Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $102,739.
While startup companies pay approximate $86,917.
Development Chef Salary by Company Size
Company Size
Employees
Average Salary
Startup
1~50
$86,917
Growth Stage
51~500
$91,918
Established
501~5000
$99,212
Enterprise
5000+
$102,739
Development Chef Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Development Chef roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 60% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Biotechnology and MFG Durable
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average.
In contrast, Development Chef positions in Retail & Wholesale or Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Development Chef as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Development Chef
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Biotechnology
$119,730
$58.0
30%
MFG Durable
$110,520
$53.0
20%
Chemicals
$101,310
$49.0
10%
Development Chef Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Development Chef's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Promotions are the fastest way to increase your earnings.
As a Development Chef, you have the following paths for advancement.
The table below compares the salary raises for common next-step roles.
By comparing these figures, you can choose the career path that best meets your financial goals.
Development Chef Salary Growth and Career Path
Next Step Role
Estimate Salary
Projected Raise
Senior Development Chef
$111,500
21%
Product Development Specialist III
$103,800
13%
Salaries of Jobs related to Development Chef
Senior Development Chef$111,500
Head Chef$87,300
Executive Chef$87,215
Research And Development Chef$85,727
Chef$59,111
Pastry Chef$58,635
Sous Chef$49,600
Assistant Chef$49,600
Kitchen Manager/Chef$49,600
Product Development Chef$49,207
Pastry Sous Chef$35,090
Most common benefits for Development Chef
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Development Chef
Here are companies hiring for Development Chef and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
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FAQ about Development Chef
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Development Chef?
The Biotechnology industry offers the highest average compensation for Development Chef roles,
with salaries approximately 30% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
