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Chefs and Head Cooks in California

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Chefs and Head Cooks in California

Get the information you need to know about working as a Chef or Head Cook.

14.3% Jobs Projection
$46,360 Median Salary
2,970 Job Openings

You’re in luck! Jobs for Chefs and Head Cooks in California are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.

  • Projected employment for Chefs and Head Cooks in California is growing faster than average.

  • Chefs and Head Cooks in California earn lower salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

How Many Chefs and Head Cooks Work in California?

There were approximately 19,420 workers employed as Chefs and Head Cooks in this state in 2018.

There were 18,350 Chefs and Head Cooks employed in this state in 2017.

That’s growth of 1,070 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

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The typical state has 1,325 Chefs and Head Cooks working in it, which means California has more Chefs and Head Cooks than average.

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Job Projections for California

Jobs for Chefs and Head Cooks in this state are growing at a rate of 14.3% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 9.6%.

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California Annual Job Openings

The BLS estimates 2,970 annual job openings, and a total of 23,200 jobs for California Chefs and Head Cooks in 2026.

Nationwide, the prediction is 20,300 annual jobs and 160,600 total jobs in 2026.

What do Chefs and Head Cooks Make in California?

In 2018 wages for Chefs and Head Cooks ranged from $24,270 to $82,600 with $46,360 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $11.67 to $39.71. The median hourly rate was $22.29.

Workers in this field were paid a median of $23.29 an hour in 2017.

The hourly rate declined by $1.00.

The median salary in California is higher than the nationwide median salary.

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Top California Metros for Chefs and Head Cooks

The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Chefs and Head Cooks.

Metro Number Employed Annual Median Salary
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 8,230 $43,220
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 3,930 $46,790
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 1,300 $46,090
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 1,290 $50,300
Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA 1,110 $53,940
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 940 $53,100
Fresno, CA 270 $36,500
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 270 $48,310
Santa Rosa, CA 250 $55,810
Napa, CA 250 $59,560
Salinas, CA 200 $68,700
Bakersfield, CA 160 $40,640
Stockton-Lodi, CA 150 $69,190
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 150 $68,250
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 100 $70,350
Modesto, CA 70 $52,140
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA 50 $54,710

Top States for Chefs and Head Cooks Employment

View the list below to see where most Chefs and Head Cooks work.

State Number Employed Annual Median Salary
California 19,420 $46,360
New York 15,500 $52,010
Florida 11,150 $48,710
Texas 6,020 $50,580
Massachusetts 4,830 $56,070
Illinois 4,770 $49,070
Ohio 4,370 $40,270
South Carolina 3,630 $38,460
Arizona 3,580 $38,430
Nevada 3,450 $52,930
Pennsylvania 3,100 $57,500
Virginia 2,790 $53,000
Connecticut 2,640 $53,730
New Jersey 2,640 $66,790
North Carolina 2,460 $47,070
Maryland 2,290 $49,390
Wisconsin 2,240 $40,480
Michigan 2,160 $48,320
Georgia 2,060 $51,330
Tennessee 1,960 $45,890

Below are the states where Chefs and Head Cooks get paid the most:

State Annual Median Salary
New Jersey $66,790
Hawaii $63,810
District of Columbia $63,150
West Virginia $58,570
Pennsylvania $57,500
Delaware $57,340
Washington $56,450
Wyoming $56,150
Massachusetts $56,070
Connecticut $53,730

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References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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