How much does a Certified Chef make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Certified Chef in the United States is $54,946 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $26.
However, a Certified Chef's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $67,492
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $49,323 to $61,513
Key Factors That Influence Certified Chef Salaries
A Certified 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 Certified Chef Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Certified 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 Certified 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 Certified Cheves. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
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: $69,303
San Francisco: $68,545
Oakland: $67,100
San Jose, CA$69,303
San Francisco, CA$68,545
Oakland, CA$67,100
New York, NY$63,264
Paramus, NJ$62,495
Queens Village, NY$62,492
Passaic, NJ$62,440
Bergenfield, NJ$62,435
Stamford, CT$62,314
Huntington, NY$62,292
Newark, NJ$61,886
Bridgeport, CT$61,770
Vallejo, CA$61,660
New Brunswick, NJ$61,638
Petaluma, CA$61,605
Middlesex, NJ$61,501
Somerset, NJ$61,463
Santa Cruz, CA$61,391
Boston, MA$61,056
Monterey, CA$60,863
Seattle, WA$60,737
Santa Rosa, CA$60,726
Los Angeles, CA$60,710
Juneau, AK$60,567
Washington, DC$60,507
Orange, CA$60,311
Santa Ana, CA$60,166
Long Beach, CA$60,111
Anaheim, CA$60,100
Anchorage, AK$60,072
Santa Maria, CA$59,908
Everett, WA$59,897
Danbury, CT$59,703
Bremerton, WA$59,627
Tacoma, WA$59,430
New Suffolk, NY$59,428
Sacramento, CA$59,413
Santa Barbara, CA$59,353
Trenton, NJ$59,292
San Diego, CA$59,292
Brockton, MA$59,232
Fairbanks, AK$59,097
Lompoc, CA$58,957
Lowell, MA$58,913
Ventura, CA$58,902
Nashua, NH$58,891
Stockton, CA$58,886
Modesto, CA$58,485
Poughkeepsie, NY$58,364
Olympia, WA$58,259
Kennewick, WA$58,259
New Haven, CT$58,237
Lawrence, MA$58,039
Hartford, CT$57,985
Riverside, CA$57,974
New Bedford, MA$57,919
Richland, WA$57,919
Bakersfield, CA$57,842
San Bernardino, CA$57,820
New Britain, CT$57,814
Atlantic City, NJ$57,814
New London, CT$57,792
Norwich, CT$57,776
Portsmouth, NH$57,765
Boulder, CO$57,648
Portland, OR$57,572
Worcester, MA$57,567
Minneapolis, MN$57,397
Philadelphia, PA$57,320
Honolulu, HI$57,138
Saint Paul, MN$57,112
Vineland, NJ$57,100
Providence, RI$56,941
Chicago, IL$56,781
Bellingham, WA$56,715
Springfield, MA$56,671
Baltimore, MD$56,655
Chico, CA$56,517
Pittsfield, MA$56,369
Manchester, NH$56,265
Spokane, WA$56,023
Denver, CO$56,017
Albany, NY$55,759
Troy, NY$55,737
Nassau, NY$55,678
Schenectady, NY$55,622
Wilmington, DE$55,578
Burlington, VT$55,501
Salem, OR$55,479
Portland, ME$55,309
Yakima, WA$55,254
Rochester, MN$55,083
Reno, NV$55,056
Fresno, CA$55,056
Milwaukee, WI$55,006
Detroit, MI$54,951
Ann Arbor, MI$54,942
Allentown, PA$54,935
Colorado Springs, CO$54,842
Syracuse, NY$54,814
Carson City, NV$54,814
Houston, TX$54,737
Eugene, OR$54,710
Gary, IN$54,644
Springfield, OR$54,600
Bismarck, ND$54,589
Galveston, TX$54,550
Medford, OR$54,468
Fort Collins, CO$54,446
Concord, NH$54,419
Austin, TX$54,402
Mesa, AZ$54,287
Reading, PA$54,281
Phoenix, AZ$54,276
Dallas, TX$54,259
Saint Cloud, MN$54,206
Madison, WI$54,133
Utica, NY$53,984
Rochester, NY$53,897
Des Moines, IA$53,891
Raleigh, NC$53,886
Atlanta, GA$53,803
Battle Creek, MI$53,787
Salt Lake City, UT$53,770
Lancaster, PA$53,688
Harrisburg, PA$53,611
Kansas City, MO$53,556
Champaign, IL$53,545
Kansas City, KS$53,545
Fort Worth, TX$53,539
Columbus, OH$53,530
Boca Raton, FL$53,517
Pittsburgh, PA$53,495
Richmond, VA$53,473
Indianapolis, IN$53,462
Cleveland, OH$53,457
Las Vegas, NV$53,391
Cincinnati, OH$53,391
Petersburg, VA$53,309
Huntsville, AL$53,226
Lansing, MI$53,189
Lebanon, PA$53,182
Pueblo, CO$53,177
Appleton, WI$53,160
Buffalo, NY$53,138
Dayton, OH$53,122
Racine, WI$53,111
Charlotte, NC$53,105
Saint Louis, MO$53,089
York, PA$53,056
Elkhart, IN$53,056
Gastonia, NC$53,045
Billings, MT$53,032
Beaumont, TX$53,017
Lorain, OH$53,006
Benton Harbor, MI$52,995
Toledo, OH$52,984
Binghamton, NY$52,957
Rock Hill, SC$52,951
Rockford, IL$52,924
Springfield, IL$52,902
Elyria, OH$52,897
Fargo, ND$52,897
Flagstaff, AZ$52,858
Fort Lauderdale, FL$52,825
Duluth, MN$52,792
Miami, FL$52,792
Cheyenne, WY$52,754
Grand Forks, ND$52,754
Bangor, ME$52,633
Cedar Rapids, IA$52,572
Durham, NC$52,549
Louisville, KY$52,545
Grand Rapids, MI$52,534
Hialeah, FL$52,528
Casper, WY$52,451
Scranton, PA$52,386
New Orleans, LA$52,369
Virginia Beach, VA$52,364
Akron, OH$52,336
Peoria, IL$52,265
Sarasota, FL$52,254
Nashville, TN$52,215
Omaha, NE$52,215
Green Bay, WI$52,215
Baton Rouge, LA$52,188
Charleston, SC$52,177
Jamestown, NY$52,149
Davenport, IA$52,149
Tucson, AZ$52,122
Saint Petersburg, FL$52,089
Tampa, FL$52,078
Evansville, IN$52,045
Port Arthur, TX$52,045
Bradenton, FL$52,023
Santa Fe, NM$51,924
Orlando, FL$51,825
Clearwater, FL$51,809
Canton, OH$51,693
La Crosse, WI$51,693
Albuquerque, NM$51,660
Newport News, VA$51,655
High Point, NC$51,638
Ogden, UT$51,616
Corpus Christi, TX$51,572
Norfolk, VA$51,539
Laramie, WY$51,539
Rock Island, IL$51,506
Saginaw, MI$51,495
Jacksonville, FL$51,490
Salisbury, NC$51,479
Boise, ID$51,468
Moline, IL$51,440
Fort Myers, FL$51,424
Memphis, TN$51,413
Tulsa, OK$51,385
Waterloo, IA$51,353
Spartanburg, SC$51,298
Lincoln, NE$51,270
Fort Wayne, IN$51,259
Provo, UT$51,254
Cedar Falls, IA$51,188
San Antonio, TX$51,166
Greensboro, NC$51,144
South Bend, IN$51,138
Savannah, GA$51,078
Muskegon, MI$51,056
Birmingham, AL$51,050
Winston Salem, NC$51,023
Lake Charles, LA$50,891
Anderson, IN$50,880
Lexington, KY$50,864
Augusta, GA$50,847
Greenville, SC$50,847
Lima, OH$50,803
Wichita, KS$50,798
Tuscaloosa, AL$50,798
Columbia, SC$50,748
Springfield, OH$50,737
Asheville, NC$50,649
Bloomington, IN$50,611
Knoxville, TN$50,413
Shreveport, LA$50,407
Wilmington, NC$50,336
Roanoke, VA$50,336
Topeka, KS$50,237
Frankfort, KY$50,231
Oklahoma City, OK$50,193
Chillicothe, OH$50,171
Longview, TX$50,166
Melbourne, FL$50,160
Sioux Falls, SD$50,072
Mobile, AL$50,067
Terre Haute, IN$50,045
Altoona, PA$50,012
Amarillo, TX$49,973
Killeen, TX$49,957
Fayetteville, AR$49,913
Chattanooga, TN$49,896
Sioux City, IA$49,847
Idaho Falls, ID$49,836
Lynchburg, VA$49,792
Gainesville, FL$49,721
Portsmouth, OH$49,693
Little Rock, AR$49,682
Lafayette, LA$49,660
Youngstown, OH$49,660
Daytona Beach, FL$49,627
Clarksville, TN$49,622
Pensacola, FL$49,616
Temple, TX$49,612
Hopkinsville, KY$49,451
Erie, PA$49,440
Florence, SC$49,418
Charleston, WV$49,331
Great Falls, MT$49,303
Macon, GA$49,226
Tallahassee, FL$49,221
Fayetteville, NC$49,210
Waco, TX$49,199
Helena, MT$49,160
Pine Bluff, AR$49,139
Vincennes, IN$49,072
Lubbock, TX$49,050
Alamogordo, NM$49,017
Twin Falls, ID$48,968
Rapid City, SD$48,951
Jackson, MS$48,852
Huntington, WV$48,849
Greenville, MS$48,847
Parkersburg, WV$48,791
Montgomery, AL$48,781
Wichita Falls, TX$48,726
Springfield, MO$48,726
Biloxi, MS$48,699
Monroe, LA$48,644
Johnstown, PA$48,605
Sumter, SC$48,583
Columbus, GA$48,578
Pascagoula, MS$48,473
Abilene, TX$48,473
Kingsport, TN$48,331
Albany, GA$48,331
Gulfport, MS$48,314
Alexandria, LA$48,133
Fort Smith, AR$47,995
El Paso, TX$47,847
Las Cruces, NM$47,600
Harlingen, TX$47,460
Pocatello, ID$47,451
Florence, AL$47,380
Brownsville, TX$47,369
Mcallen, TX$47,254
Dothan, AL$47,177
Columbus, MS$46,850
Altus, OK$46,594
Lawton, OK$46,490
Pierre, SD$46,292
What Skills Can Increase a Certified Chef's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Analysis (Mentioned in 6.13% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
ISO (Mentioned in 3.36% Job Postings): The International Organization for Standardization is an international standard development organization composed of representatives from the national standards organizations of member countries.
HVAC (Mentioned in 1.69% Job Postings): Designing, developing, maintaining, and updating Heating, Ventilation, Air-conditioning and Cooling system.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Certified Chef's salary.
Programming: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Troubleshooting: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Certified Chef Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Certified Chef roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential
by as much as 50% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the highest-paying industry, MFG Durable,
offers compensation 30% above the average. Conversely,
Certified Chef positions in MFG Nondurable typically offer lower base pay,
as this sector often view Certified Chef as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for a Certified Chef
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
MFG Durable
$71,430
$34.0
30%
Certified Chef Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Certified 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.
Salaries for a Certified Chef can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $43,403 in 2023
to around $42,333 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Certified Chef salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Certified Chef Over Time
$???
$43,403
$42,715
$42,333
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$43,403
2024
$42,715
2025
$42,333
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Certified Chef
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Certified Chef
Here are companies hiring for Certified Chef and their salaries, click below for more details.
L$106,714/per year
L3 Technologies IncMFG Durablethe United States
L$106,353/per year
L-3 Communications CorpMFG Durablethe United States
C$104,622/per year
Chery Automobile Co.( LLCMFG Durablethe United States
R$103,889/per year
Raytheon Intelligence & SpaceMFG Durablethe United States
S$100,180/per year
SanyoMFG Durablethe United States
M$99,945/per year
Motorola Mobility LLCMFG Durablethe United States
O$98,405/per year
OSRAM SYLVANIA IncMFG Durablethe United States
S$95,776/per year
Saras LLCMFG Durablethe United States
J$93,552/per year
Jsw Steel IncMFG Durablethe United States
C$93,115/per year
Collins Aerospace CompaniesMFG Durablethe United States
C$92,955/per year
CarrierMFG Durablethe United States
A$92,540/per year
Alpine Co. LtdMFG Durablethe United States
V$92,343/per year
Vanguard National Trailer CorpMFG Durablethe United States
A$92,265/per year
Asia Pulp & PaperMFG Durablethe United States
C$91,920/per year
ChryslerMFG Durablethe United States
D$90,518/per year
Daimler Truck North America LLCMFG Durablethe United States
S$90,363/per year
Suzhou Dongshan Precision Manufacturing Co., Ltd (DSBJ)MFG Durablethe United States
R$89,132/per year
Raytheon Missiles & DefenseMFG Durablethe United States
L$88,262/per year
Louis PoulsenMFG Durablethe United States
T$88,219/per year
Toyota Boshoku America IncMFG Durablethe United States
A$87,299/per year
ABB Installation Products IncMFG Durablethe United States
R$86,213/per year
Regal RexnordMFG Durablethe United States
T$84,081/per year
Tesla Motors IncMFG Durablethe United States
C$83,582/per year
Clarios LLCMFG Durablethe United States
K$83,024/per year
Kobelco Construction Machinery USA IncMFG Durablethe United States
Find Your Next Certified Chef Job
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FAQ about Certified Chef
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Certified Chef?
The MFG Durable industry offers the highest average compensation for Certified 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.
