How much does a Chef de Cuisine make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Chef de Cuisine in the United States is $86,510 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $42.
However, a Chef de Cuisine's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $104,897
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $77,726 to $96,134
Key Factors That Influence Chef de Cuisine Salaries
A Chef de Cuisine'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, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Chef de Cuisine Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Chef de Cuisine'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 Chef de Cuisine 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 Chef de Cuisines. 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: $109,115
San Francisco: $107,920
Oakland: $105,646
San Jose, CA$109,115
San Francisco, CA$107,920
Oakland, CA$105,646
New York, NY$99,607
Paramus, NJ$98,395
Queens Village, NY$98,391
Passaic, NJ$98,309
Bergenfield, NJ$98,301
Stamford, CT$98,111
Huntington, NY$98,075
Newark, NJ$97,436
Bridgeport, CT$97,253
Vallejo, CA$97,081
New Brunswick, NJ$97,047
Petaluma, CA$96,995
Middlesex, NJ$96,830
Somerset, NJ$96,770
Santa Cruz, CA$96,657
Boston, MA$96,130
Monterey, CA$95,826
Seattle, WA$95,628
Santa Rosa, CA$95,611
Los Angeles, CA$95,585
Juneau, AK$95,360
Washington, DC$95,265
Orange, CA$94,957
Santa Ana, CA$94,728
Long Beach, CA$94,642
Anaheim, CA$94,624
Anchorage, AK$94,581
Santa Maria, CA$94,322
Everett, WA$94,304
Danbury, CT$94,000
Bremerton, WA$93,880
Tacoma, WA$93,569
New Suffolk, NY$93,567
Sacramento, CA$93,543
Santa Barbara, CA$93,448
Trenton, NJ$93,353
San Diego, CA$93,353
Brockton, MA$93,258
Fairbanks, AK$93,046
Lompoc, CA$92,825
Lowell, MA$92,755
Ventura, CA$92,739
Nashua, NH$92,721
Stockton, CA$92,713
Modesto, CA$92,081
Poughkeepsie, NY$91,891
Olympia, WA$91,726
Kennewick, WA$91,726
New Haven, CT$91,692
Lawrence, MA$91,380
Hartford, CT$91,294
Riverside, CA$91,276
New Bedford, MA$91,190
Richland, WA$91,190
Bakersfield, CA$91,069
San Bernardino, CA$91,034
New Britain, CT$91,026
Atlantic City, NJ$91,026
New London, CT$90,991
Norwich, CT$90,965
Portsmouth, NH$90,948
Boulder, CO$90,764
Portland, OR$90,645
Worcester, MA$90,636
Minneapolis, MN$90,368
Philadelphia, PA$90,247
Honolulu, HI$89,962
Saint Paul, MN$89,920
Vineland, NJ$89,901
Providence, RI$89,650
Chicago, IL$89,399
Bellingham, WA$89,295
Springfield, MA$89,226
Baltimore, MD$89,200
Chico, CA$88,984
Pittsfield, MA$88,750
Manchester, NH$88,586
Spokane, WA$88,205
Denver, CO$88,197
Albany, NY$87,790
Troy, NY$87,756
Nassau, NY$87,663
Schenectady, NY$87,574
Wilmington, DE$87,505
Burlington, VT$87,384
Salem, OR$87,349
Portland, ME$87,081
Yakima, WA$86,994
Rochester, MN$86,726
Reno, NV$86,683
Fresno, CA$86,683
Milwaukee, WI$86,605
Detroit, MI$86,518
Ann Arbor, MI$86,504
Allentown, PA$86,492
Colorado Springs, CO$86,345
Syracuse, NY$86,302
Carson City, NV$86,302
Houston, TX$86,181
Eugene, OR$86,138
Gary, IN$86,034
Springfield, OR$85,965
Bismarck, ND$85,947
Galveston, TX$85,887
Medford, OR$85,757
Fort Collins, CO$85,723
Concord, NH$85,679
Austin, TX$85,653
Mesa, AZ$85,472
Reading, PA$85,463
Phoenix, AZ$85,454
Dallas, TX$85,428
Saint Cloud, MN$85,345
Madison, WI$85,229
Utica, NY$84,996
Rochester, NY$84,857
Des Moines, IA$84,849
Raleigh, NC$84,840
Atlanta, GA$84,710
Battle Creek, MI$84,684
Salt Lake City, UT$84,658
Lancaster, PA$84,529
Harrisburg, PA$84,408
Kansas City, MO$84,321
Champaign, IL$84,304
Kansas City, KS$84,304
Fort Worth, TX$84,295
Columbus, OH$84,280
Boca Raton, FL$84,261
Pittsburgh, PA$84,226
Richmond, VA$84,191
Indianapolis, IN$84,174
Cleveland, OH$84,165
Las Vegas, NV$84,062
Cincinnati, OH$84,062
Petersburg, VA$83,932
Huntsville, AL$83,802
Lansing, MI$83,744
Lebanon, PA$83,733
Pueblo, CO$83,724
Appleton, WI$83,698
Buffalo, NY$83,664
Dayton, OH$83,638
Racine, WI$83,620
Charlotte, NC$83,612
Saint Louis, MO$83,586
York, PA$83,534
Elkhart, IN$83,534
Gastonia, NC$83,517
Billings, MT$83,497
Beaumont, TX$83,473
Lorain, OH$83,456
Benton Harbor, MI$83,439
Toledo, OH$83,421
Binghamton, NY$83,378
Rock Hill, SC$83,369
Rockford, IL$83,326
Springfield, IL$83,292
Elyria, OH$83,283
Fargo, ND$83,283
Flagstaff, AZ$83,222
Fort Lauderdale, FL$83,171
Duluth, MN$83,119
Miami, FL$83,119
Cheyenne, WY$83,058
Grand Forks, ND$83,058
Bangor, ME$82,868
Cedar Rapids, IA$82,773
Durham, NC$82,736
Louisville, KY$82,729
Grand Rapids, MI$82,712
Hialeah, FL$82,703
Casper, WY$82,582
Scranton, PA$82,478
New Orleans, LA$82,452
Virginia Beach, VA$82,444
Akron, OH$82,401
Peoria, IL$82,288
Sarasota, FL$82,271
Nashville, TN$82,210
Omaha, NE$82,210
Green Bay, WI$82,210
Baton Rouge, LA$82,167
Charleston, SC$82,150
Jamestown, NY$82,106
Davenport, IA$82,106
Tucson, AZ$82,063
Saint Petersburg, FL$82,011
Tampa, FL$81,994
Evansville, IN$81,942
Port Arthur, TX$81,942
Bradenton, FL$81,907
Santa Fe, NM$81,752
Orlando, FL$81,596
Clearwater, FL$81,570
Canton, OH$81,388
La Crosse, WI$81,388
Albuquerque, NM$81,337
Newport News, VA$81,328
High Point, NC$81,302
Ogden, UT$81,267
Corpus Christi, TX$81,198
Norfolk, VA$81,146
Laramie, WY$81,146
Rock Island, IL$81,094
Saginaw, MI$81,077
Jacksonville, FL$81,068
Salisbury, NC$81,051
Boise, ID$81,034
Moline, IL$80,990
Fort Myers, FL$80,965
Memphis, TN$80,947
Tulsa, OK$80,904
Waterloo, IA$80,852
Spartanburg, SC$80,766
Lincoln, NE$80,722
Fort Wayne, IN$80,705
Provo, UT$80,696
Cedar Falls, IA$80,593
San Antonio, TX$80,558
Greensboro, NC$80,523
South Bend, IN$80,515
Savannah, GA$80,420
Muskegon, MI$80,385
Birmingham, AL$80,376
Winston Salem, NC$80,334
Lake Charles, LA$80,125
Anderson, IN$80,108
Lexington, KY$80,082
Augusta, GA$80,056
Greenville, SC$80,056
Lima, OH$79,987
Wichita, KS$79,978
Tuscaloosa, AL$79,978
Columbia, SC$79,900
Springfield, OH$79,883
Asheville, NC$79,745
Bloomington, IN$79,684
Knoxville, TN$79,373
Shreveport, LA$79,364
Wilmington, NC$79,252
Roanoke, VA$79,252
Topeka, KS$79,096
Frankfort, KY$79,086
Oklahoma City, OK$79,027
Chillicothe, OH$78,992
Longview, TX$78,983
Melbourne, FL$78,975
Sioux Falls, SD$78,836
Mobile, AL$78,828
Terre Haute, IN$78,793
Altoona, PA$78,741
Amarillo, TX$78,681
Killeen, TX$78,655
Fayetteville, AR$78,586
Chattanooga, TN$78,560
Sioux City, IA$78,482
Idaho Falls, ID$78,464
Lynchburg, VA$78,395
Gainesville, FL$78,283
Portsmouth, OH$78,239
Little Rock, AR$78,222
Lafayette, LA$78,188
Youngstown, OH$78,188
Daytona Beach, FL$78,136
Clarksville, TN$78,127
Pensacola, FL$78,118
Temple, TX$78,112
Hopkinsville, KY$77,859
Erie, PA$77,842
Florence, SC$77,807
Charleston, WV$77,668
Great Falls, MT$77,625
Macon, GA$77,504
Tallahassee, FL$77,495
Fayetteville, NC$77,478
Waco, TX$77,461
Helena, MT$77,400
Pine Bluff, AR$77,367
Vincennes, IN$77,262
Lubbock, TX$77,227
Alamogordo, NM$77,175
Twin Falls, ID$77,098
Rapid City, SD$77,072
Jackson, MS$76,916
Huntington, WV$76,910
Greenville, MS$76,907
Parkersburg, WV$76,819
Montgomery, AL$76,803
Wichita Falls, TX$76,717
Springfield, MO$76,717
Biloxi, MS$76,674
Monroe, LA$76,587
Johnstown, PA$76,527
Sumter, SC$76,492
Columbus, GA$76,483
Pascagoula, MS$76,319
Abilene, TX$76,319
Kingsport, TN$76,094
Albany, GA$76,094
Gulfport, MS$76,068
Alexandria, LA$75,783
Fort Smith, AR$75,566
El Paso, TX$75,333
Las Cruces, NM$74,943
Harlingen, TX$74,724
Pocatello, ID$74,710
Florence, AL$74,597
Brownsville, TX$74,580
Mcallen, TX$74,398
Dothan, AL$74,277
Columbus, MS$73,763
Altus, OK$73,360
Lawton, OK$73,196
Pierre, SD$72,885
What Skills Can Increase a Chef de Cuisine's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Leadership (Mentioned in 6.66% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
Cost Control (Mentioned in 4.08% Job Postings): Managing and analyzing financial data in determining and reducing business expenses to increase revenue and profitability.
Merchandising (Mentioned in 1.32% Job Postings): In the broadest sense, merchandising is any practice which contributes to the sale of products to a retail consumer. At a retail in-store level, merchandising refers to the variety of products available for sale and the display of those products in such a way that it stimulates interest and entices customers to make a purchase. In the profession of merchandising you are either employed by the store in which you work, or by an independent distributor. As a professional merchandiser, in a retail setting, you will not only know your products(I.e. coffee, juice, soda, etc.) but you will gauge other “vendors” like products as you tend to your job. Working with the store and other merchandisers, shelf space is often given or taken as need be in some locations(for some young merchandisers this is known as “war”) In retail commerce, visual display merchandising means merchandise sales using product design, selection, packaging, pricing, and display that stimulates consumers to spend more. This includes disciplines and discounting, physical presentation of products and displays, and the decisions about which products should be presented to which customers at what time.
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 Chef de Cuisine's salary.
Equipment Operation: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
Commitment: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Managed Services: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Chef de Cuisine Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Chef de Cuisine roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 50% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Biotechnology and Internet
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average.
In contrast, Chef de Cuisine positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Retail & Wholesale typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Chef de Cuisine as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Chef de Cuisine
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Biotechnology
$108,137
$52.0
25%
Internet
$103,812
$50.0
20%
Pharmaceuticals
$103,812
$50.0
20%
Energy & Utilities
$102,082
$49.0
18%
Software & Networking
$99,486
$48.0
15%
How Education impacts a Chef de Cuisine's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Chef de Cuisines enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Chef de Cuisine with a Associate's Degree is between
$92,424
and $99,704).
Chef de Cuisine Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Chef de Cuisine'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 Chef de Cuisine can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary increased from $82,791 in 2023
to around $82,833 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Chef de Cuisine salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Chef de Cuisine Over Time
$???
$82,791
$83,171
$82,833
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$82,791
2024
$83,171
2025
$82,833
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Chef de Cuisine
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Chef de Cuisine
Here are companies hiring for Chef de Cuisine 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
Find Your Next Chef de Cuisine Job
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FAQ about Chef de Cuisine
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Chef de Cuisine?
The Biotechnology industry offers the highest average compensation for Chef de Cuisine roles,
with salaries approximately 25% 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.
