What are the main factors that influence a Certified Chef's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

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.

How does experience change A Certified Chef's salary?

A Certified Chef's salary grows with experience: starting around $53,603 for beginners, reaching about $55,853 at mid-level, and approach $58,515 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Certified Chef?

Certified Chef salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Certified Chef roles are District of Columbia $60,819, California $60,588, Massachusetts $59,781. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Certified Chef roles make?

Salaries for Certified Chef level roles vary by specialization: Development Chef: $92,100; Head Chef: $87,300; Executive Chef: $87,208; Certified Executive Chef: $74,945; Pastry Chef: $69,623.

How do different companies affect a Certified Chef's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Certified Chef roles. Large, established industry leaders like L3 Technologies Inc ($106,714) and L-3 Communications Corp ($106,353) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $83,024.

Certified Chef Salary in the United States

How much does a Certified Chef make in the United States?

As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for a Certified Chef in the United States is $54,930 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): $67,473
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $49,309 to $61,496
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $44,192

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Certified Chef Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$61,496	$5,125	$1,183	$30
Average	$54,930	$4,578	$1,056	$26
25th Percentile	$49,309	$4,109	$948	$24

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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:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $53,603
Early Career (1-2 years): $53,994
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $55,853
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $57,982
Expert (over 8 years): $58,515

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Certified Chef	$53,603
Intermediate Level Certified Chef	$53,994
Senior Level Certified Chef	$55,853
Specialist Level Certified Chef	$57,982
Expert Level Certified Chef	$58,515

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What Am I Worth?

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:

District of Columbia: $60,819.
California: $60,588.
Massachusetts: $59,781.

District of Columbia $60,819 California $60,588 Massachusetts $59,781 Washington $59,561 New Jersey $59,539 Alaska $59,462 Connecticut $58,704 New York $58,396

Hawaii $57,413 Rhode Island $56,952 Maryland $56,639 Minnesota $56,210 Colorado $56,045 Illinois $55,990 Oregon $55,782 Delaware $55,628

New Hampshire $55,531 Virginia $55,315 Pennsylvania $54,683 Nevada $54,365 North Dakota $54,260 Michigan $54,095 Wisconsin $54,035 Vermont $53,914

Texas $53,579 Maine $53,557 Arizona $53,524 Ohio $53,486 Georgia $52,980 Indiana $52,728 Wyoming $52,678 Utah $52,601

Iowa $52,568 Kansas $52,305 Louisiana $52,228 North Carolina $52,200 Missouri $52,189 Florida $51,975 Montana $51,860 Nebraska $51,750

Kentucky $51,689 South Carolina $51,470 Tennessee $51,332 Idaho $51,277 New Mexico $50,876 Oklahoma $50,789 Alabama $50,464 South Dakota $49,921

Arkansas $49,624 West Virginia $49,465 Mississippi $48,987

Top Paying Cities for Certified 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: $69,284
San Francisco: $68,525
Oakland: $67,081

San Jose, CA $69,284

San Francisco, CA $68,525

Oakland, CA $67,081

New York, NY $63,246

Paramus, NJ $62,477

Queens Village, NY $62,474

Passaic, NJ $62,422

Bergenfield, NJ $62,417

Stamford, CT $62,296

Huntington, NY $62,274

Newark, NJ $61,868

Bridgeport, CT $61,752

Vallejo, CA $61,643

New Brunswick, NJ $61,621

Petaluma, CA $61,588

Middlesex, NJ $61,483

Somerset, NJ $61,445

Santa Cruz, CA $61,374

Boston, MA $61,039

Monterey, CA $60,846

Seattle, WA $60,720

Santa Rosa, CA $60,709

Los Angeles, CA $60,692

Juneau, AK $60,550

Washington, DC $60,489

Orange, CA $60,294

Santa Ana, CA $60,149

Long Beach, CA $60,094

Anaheim, CA $60,083

Anchorage, AK $60,055

Santa Maria, CA $59,891

Everett, WA $59,880

Danbury, CT $59,686

Bremerton, WA $59,610

Tacoma, WA $59,413

New Suffolk, NY $59,412

Sacramento, CA $59,396

Santa Barbara, CA $59,336

Trenton, NJ $59,275

San Diego, CA $59,275

Brockton, MA $59,215

Fairbanks, AK $59,080

Lompoc, CA $58,940

Lowell, MA $58,896

Ventura, CA $58,885

Nashua, NH $58,874

Stockton, CA $58,869

Modesto, CA $58,468

Poughkeepsie, NY $58,347

Olympia, WA $58,243

Kennewick, WA $58,243

New Haven, CT $58,221

Lawrence, MA $58,023

Hartford, CT $57,968

Riverside, CA $57,957

New Bedford, MA $57,902

Richland, WA $57,902

Bakersfield, CA $57,825

San Bernardino, CA $57,803

New Britain, CT $57,798

Atlantic City, NJ $57,798

New London, CT $57,776

Norwich, CT $57,759

Portsmouth, NH $57,748

Boulder, CO $57,632

Portland, OR $57,556

Worcester, MA $57,550

Minneapolis, MN $57,380

Philadelphia, PA $57,303

Honolulu, HI $57,122

Saint Paul, MN $57,096

Vineland, NJ $57,084

Providence, RI $56,924

Chicago, IL $56,765

Bellingham, WA $56,699

Springfield, MA $56,655

Baltimore, MD $56,639

Chico, CA $56,501

Pittsfield, MA $56,353

Manchester, NH $56,249

Spokane, WA $56,007

Denver, CO $56,001

Albany, NY $55,743

Troy, NY $55,721

Nassau, NY $55,663

Schenectady, NY $55,606

Wilmington, DE $55,562

Burlington, VT $55,485

Salem, OR $55,463

Portland, ME $55,293

Yakima, WA $55,238

Rochester, MN $55,068

Reno, NV $55,040

Fresno, CA $55,040

Milwaukee, WI $54,991

Detroit, MI $54,936

Ann Arbor, MI $54,926

Allentown, PA $54,919

Colorado Springs, CO $54,826

Syracuse, NY $54,798

Carson City, NV $54,798

Houston, TX $54,722

Eugene, OR $54,694

Gary, IN $54,628

Springfield, OR $54,584

Bismarck, ND $54,573

Galveston, TX $54,535

Medford, OR $54,452

Fort Collins, CO $54,430

Concord, NH $54,403

Austin, TX $54,386

Mesa, AZ $54,271

Reading, PA $54,266

Phoenix, AZ $54,260

Dallas, TX $54,244

Saint Cloud, MN $54,191

Madison, WI $54,117

Utica, NY $53,969

Rochester, NY $53,881

Des Moines, IA $53,876

Raleigh, NC $53,870

Atlanta, GA $53,788

Battle Creek, MI $53,771

Salt Lake City, UT $53,755

Lancaster, PA $53,672

Harrisburg, PA $53,595

Kansas City, MO $53,541

Champaign, IL $53,530

Kansas City, KS $53,530

Fort Worth, TX $53,524

Columbus, OH $53,515

Boca Raton, FL $53,502

Pittsburgh, PA $53,480

Richmond, VA $53,458

Indianapolis, IN $53,447

Cleveland, OH $53,442

Las Vegas, NV $53,376

Cincinnati, OH $53,376

Petersburg, VA $53,293

Huntsville, AL $53,211

Lansing, MI $53,174

Lebanon, PA $53,167

Pueblo, CO $53,162

Appleton, WI $53,145

Buffalo, NY $53,123

Dayton, OH $53,107

Racine, WI $53,096

Charlotte, NC $53,090

Saint Louis, MO $53,074

York, PA $53,041

Elkhart, IN $53,041

Gastonia, NC $53,030

Billings, MT $53,017

Beaumont, TX $53,002

Lorain, OH $52,991

Benton Harbor, MI $52,980

Toledo, OH $52,969

Binghamton, NY $52,942

Rock Hill, SC $52,936

Rockford, IL $52,909

Springfield, IL $52,887

Elyria, OH $52,881

Fargo, ND $52,881

Flagstaff, AZ $52,843

Fort Lauderdale, FL $52,810

Duluth, MN $52,777

Miami, FL $52,777

Cheyenne, WY $52,739

Grand Forks, ND $52,739

Bangor, ME $52,618

Cedar Rapids, IA $52,557

Durham, NC $52,534

Louisville, KY $52,530

Grand Rapids, MI $52,519

Hialeah, FL $52,513

Casper, WY $52,436

Scranton, PA $52,371

New Orleans, LA $52,354

Virginia Beach, VA $52,349

Akron, OH $52,321

Peoria, IL $52,250

Sarasota, FL $52,239

Nashville, TN $52,200

Omaha, NE $52,200

Green Bay, WI $52,200

Baton Rouge, LA $52,173

Charleston, SC $52,162

Jamestown, NY $52,134

Davenport, IA $52,134

Tucson, AZ $52,107

Saint Petersburg, FL $52,074

Tampa, FL $52,063

Evansville, IN $52,030

Port Arthur, TX $52,030

Bradenton, FL $52,008

Santa Fe, NM $51,909

Orlando, FL $51,810

Clearwater, FL $51,794

Canton, OH $51,678

La Crosse, WI $51,678

Albuquerque, NM $51,645

Newport News, VA $51,640

High Point, NC $51,623

Ogden, UT $51,602

Corpus Christi, TX $51,558

Norfolk, VA $51,525

Laramie, WY $51,525

Rock Island, IL $51,492

Saginaw, MI $51,481

Jacksonville, FL $51,475

Salisbury, NC $51,464

Boise, ID $51,453

Moline, IL $51,426

Fort Myers, FL $51,409

Memphis, TN $51,398

Tulsa, OK $51,371

Waterloo, IA $51,338

Spartanburg, SC $51,283

Lincoln, NE $51,255

Fort Wayne, IN $51,244

Provo, UT $51,239

Cedar Falls, IA $51,173

San Antonio, TX $51,151

Greensboro, NC $51,129

South Bend, IN $51,124

Savannah, GA $51,063

Muskegon, MI $51,041

Birmingham, AL $51,036

Winston Salem, NC $51,009

Lake Charles, LA $50,876

Anderson, IN $50,865

Lexington, KY $50,849

Augusta, GA $50,832

Greenville, SC $50,832

Lima, OH $50,789

Wichita, KS $50,783

Tuscaloosa, AL $50,783

Columbia, SC $50,734

Springfield, OH $50,723

Asheville, NC $50,635

Bloomington, IN $50,596

Knoxville, TN $50,399

Shreveport, LA $50,393

Wilmington, NC $50,322

Roanoke, VA $50,322

Topeka, KS $50,223

Frankfort, KY $50,217

Oklahoma City, OK $50,179

Chillicothe, OH $50,157

Longview, TX $50,151

Melbourne, FL $50,146

Sioux Falls, SD $50,058

Mobile, AL $50,052

Terre Haute, IN $50,031

Altoona, PA $49,998

Amarillo, TX $49,959

Killeen, TX $49,943

Fayetteville, AR $49,899

Chattanooga, TN $49,882

Sioux City, IA $49,833

Idaho Falls, ID $49,822

Lynchburg, VA $49,778

Gainesville, FL $49,706

Portsmouth, OH $49,679

Little Rock, AR $49,668

Lafayette, LA $49,646

Youngstown, OH $49,646

Daytona Beach, FL $49,613

Clarksville, TN $49,608

Pensacola, FL $49,602

Temple, TX $49,598

Hopkinsville, KY $49,437

Erie, PA $49,426

Florence, SC $49,404

Charleston, WV $49,316

Great Falls, MT $49,289

Macon, GA $49,212

Tallahassee, FL $49,207

Fayetteville, NC $49,196

Waco, TX $49,185

Helena, MT $49,146

Pine Bluff, AR $49,125

Vincennes, IN $49,058

Lubbock, TX $49,036

Alamogordo, NM $49,003

Twin Falls, ID $48,954

Rapid City, SD $48,937

Jackson, MS $48,839

Huntington, WV $48,835

Greenville, MS $48,833

Parkersburg, WV $48,777

Montgomery, AL $48,767

Wichita Falls, TX $48,712

Springfield, MO $48,712

Biloxi, MS $48,685

Monroe, LA $48,630

Johnstown, PA $48,591

Sumter, SC $48,569

Columbus, GA $48,564

Pascagoula, MS $48,460

Abilene, TX $48,460

Kingsport, TN $48,317

Albany, GA $48,317

Gulfport, MS $48,300

Alexandria, LA $48,119

Fort Smith, AR $47,982

El Paso, TX $47,833

Las Cruces, NM $47,586

Harlingen, TX $47,447

Pocatello, ID $47,438

Florence, AL $47,366

Brownsville, TX $47,355

Mcallen, TX $47,240

Dothan, AL $47,163

Columbus, MS $46,837

Altus, OK $46,581

Lawton, OK $46,477

Pierre, SD $46,279

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.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Analysis	6.13%
ISO	3.36%
HVAC	1.69%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

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%.
Schematic: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Programming	$58,226	6%
Troubleshooting	$57,677	5%
Schematic	$57,128	4%
Quality Management	$57,128	4%
Continuous Improvement	$56,578	3%
Coordination	$56,578	3%

Get Latest Data

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	$71,409	$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.

Last Updated on July 01, 2026

$49,309

Average $54,930/year

$61,496

$4,109

Average $4,578/month

$5,125

$948

Average $1,056/week

$1,183

$24

Average $26/hour

$30

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$61,496	$5,125	$1,183	$30
Average	$54,930	$4,578	$1,056	$26
25th Percentile	$49,309	$4,109	$948	$24

Salaries of jobs related to Certified Chef

Salary Trends for Certified Chef

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

2022

$???

2023

$43,403

2024

$42,715

2025

$42,333

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)

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