As of January 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a Sous Chef in the United States is $52,716. Salary.com reports that pay typically ranges from $45,758 to $61,445, with most professionals earning between $39,423 and $69,392.
| Annual Salary |
Monthly Pay |
Weekly Pay |
Hourly Wage |
|
| 75th Percentile | $61,445 | $5,120 | $1,182 | $30 |
| Average | $52,716 | $4,393 | $1,014 | $25 |
| 25th Percentile | $45,758 | $3,813 | $880 | $22 |
An entry-level Sous Chef with less than 1 year of experience earns about $49,739. With 1-2 years of experience, the average salary increases to $50,048. For 2-4 years of experience, the pay typically rises to $51,078. Senior-level professionals with 5-8 years of experience earn around $53,867, and those with over 8 years of experience can expect an average of $55,548.
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level Sous Chef | $49,739 |
| Intermediate Level Sous Chef | $50,048 |
| Senior Level Sous Chef | $51,078 |
| Specialist Level Sous Chef | $53,867 |
| Expert Level Sous Chef | $55,548 |
| Entry Level | 6% |
| Mid Level | 5% |
| Senior Level | 3% |
| Top Level | 2% |
| Experienced | 5% |
Salaries in the United States differ widely between states due to factors like cost of living, local economies, and industry presence.
What Am I Worth?
Salaries in the United States can vary greatly between cities due to factors like cost of living, local economies, and industry presence.
As of January 01, 2025, our research reveals a significant shift in Sous Chef compensation over the past six years. For example, the median salary increased from $43,480 in 2023 to approximately $43,221 in 2024. (For a detailed analysis of Sous Chef salary trends, click here.)
Key factors like location, experience, industry demand, and economic growth significantly influence salary variations, making them important to consider.
Salary.com job board provides millions of Sous Chef information for you to search for. Click on search button below to see Sous Chef job openings or enter a new job title here.
Here are companies hiring for Sous Chef and their salaries, click below for more details.
| Core Compensation | ||||
| Core Compensation | Median | % of Total | ||
| Base Salary | $52,716 | 67.3% | ||
| Bonus | $502 | 0.6% | ||
| Value of Benefits | ||||
| Core Compensation | Median | % of Total | ||
| Social Security | $4,071 | 5.2% | ||
| 401K/403B | $2,235 | 2.9% | ||
| Disability | $1,064 | 1.4% | ||
| Healthcare | $8,352 | 10.7% | ||
| Pension | $2,874 | 3.7% | ||
| Time Off | $6,550 | 8.4% | ||
| Total Compensation | $78,365 | 100% | ||
| Degree Level | % of user with this level of education |
|---|---|
| No Diploma | 2.1% |
| High School | 23.5% |
| Associates | 53.8% |
| Bachelors | 19.9% |
| Masters | 0.6% |
What Am I Worth?
The average annual salary of Sous Chef is $52,716. In case you are finding an easy salary calculator, the average hourly pay of Sous Chef is $25; the average weekly pay of Sous Chef is $1,014; the average monthly pay of Sous Chef is $4,393.
A Sous Chef's earning potential can vary widely depending on several factors, including location, industry, experience, education, and the specific employer. According to the latest salary data by Salary.com, a Sous Chef earns the most in San Jose, CA, where the annual salary of a Sous Chef is $66,159.
The highest pay for Sous Chef is $69,392.
The lowest pay for Sous Chef is $39,423.
Sous Chef assists the Executive Chef in the daily kitchen operations including menu development, purchasing, inventory, cost control, and sanitation. Oversees the activities of the kitchen staff and monitors food production and presentation. Being a Sous Chef resolves operational issues. Performs quality checks on ingredients and prepared dishes. Additionally, Sous Chef complies with all safety and food sanitation laws and regulations. Supervises, trains, and mentors staff. May require an associate degree in culinary arts or equivalent. Typically reports to an executive chef. The Sous Chef supervises a small group of para-professional staff in an organization characterized by highly transactional or repetitive processes. Contributes to the development of processes and procedures. To be a Sous Chef typically requires 3 years experience in the related area as an individual contributor. Thorough knowledge of functional area under supervision.
Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.
Customer Service: Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Culinary Arts: Culinary arts are the cuisine arts of food preparation, cooking, and presentation of food, usually in the form of meals
Purchasing: Purchasing refers to a business or organization attempting to acquire goods or services to accomplish its goals. Although there are several organizations that attempt to set standards in the purchasing process, processes can vary greatly between organizations. Typically the word “purchasing” is not used interchangeably with the word “procurement”, since procurement typically includes expediting, supplier quality, and transportation and logistics (T&L) in addition to purchasing.
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)
With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.
