Chefs & head cooks

Detailed Occupation

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2024 Workforce

467k

Average Age

41.2

Estimated Job Growth

7.1%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$45,066

Average Male Salary

$47,355

Average Female Salary

$37,545

About

Chefs & head cooks are most often employed by the Restaurants & Food Services industry. The average yearly wage for Chefs & head cooks was $45,066 in 2024.

The locations that employ the most Chefs & head cooks are NYC-Queens Community District 4--Elmhurst & Corona PUMA, NY, NYC-Queens Community District 7--Flushing, Murray Hill, & Whitestone PUMA, NY, and NYC-Brooklyn Community District 7--Sunset Park & Windsor Terrace PUMA, NY. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Chefs & head cooks are NYC-Brooklyn Community District 7--Sunset Park & Windsor Terrace PUMA, NY, NYC-Queens Community District 4--Elmhurst & Corona PUMA, NY, and NYC-Queens Community District 3--Jackson Heights & East Elmhurst PUMA, NY.

Service Occupations Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Chefs & head cooks workforce. Chefs & head cooks workforce in 2024 was 466,865 people, of which 23.3% were women and 76.7% were men.

Chefs & head cooks are paid most in Lincoln, Warren, Audrain, Pike & Montgomery Counties PUMA, MO but are relatively concentrated in NYC-Brooklyn Community District 7--Sunset Park & Windsor Terrace PUMA, NY.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

357,950

Male Workforce

± 14.7k

108,915

Female Workforce

± 8.1k

The Chefs & head cooks workforce in 2024 was 466,865 people (23.3% women and 76.7% men). This implies an average annual growth of 27% between 2014 (367,745) and 2024 (466,865).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Chefs & head cooks.

During 2024, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were Washington ($59,182), Nevada ($57,901), and Missouri ($54,276).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$45,066

AVERAGE WAGE

#355 in the ranking (2014)

$69,878

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2024, Chefs & head cooks earned an average of $45,066, $24,811 less than the average national salary of $69,878

The graph shows the ranking of Chefs & head cooks in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2014.

In 2024, Chefs & head cooks had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.368, which is lower than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Chefs & head cooks (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Chefs & head cooks compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Chefs & head cooks and on wages for those in the field. Restaurants & Food Services is the industry that employs the most Chefs & head cooks, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Chefs & head cooks, by average wage, is Natural gas distribution ($108,633).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

467k

2024 Workforce

± 16,750

−0.811%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 5.1%

This graphic shows the share of Chefs & head cooks employed by various industries. Restaurants & Food Services employs the largest share of Chefs & head cooks at 84.2%, followed by Traveler accommodation with 6.28% and Amusement & Recreation with 5.77%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Chefs & head cooks in the US. The workforce of Chefs & head cooks in 2024 was 466,865 people, with 23.3% woman, and 76.7% men. The average age of male Chefs & head cooks in the workforce is 41.3 and of female Chefs & head cooks is 40.8, and the most common race/ethnicity for Chefs & head cooks is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Chefs & head cooks in 2024 was 466,865 people, with 23.3% woman, and 76.7% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 35 to 39 years (67,081 people), 30 to 34 years (62,894 people), and 40 to 44 years (60,888 people). Among them they concentrated 40.9% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2024, 26.8% of Chefs & head cooks workers were Hispanic and 73.2% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (51.4%), Puerto Rican (11.8)%, and Salvadoran (5.64)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2024, 43.1% of the Chefs & head cooks workforce were White, of which 24.7% were women and 75.3% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Asian (17.7%) and Two or More Races (14.6%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Chefs & head cooks from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Chefs & head cooks is Business but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2024 were Personal & Culinary Services.

Among the necessary skills for Chefs & head cooks, Coordination stands, but the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Chefs & head cooks need more than the average amount of Management of Financial Resources.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Chefs & head cooks in 2024 (counting all academic degrees) were Business (15,458 people), Personal & Culinary Services (8,588 people), and Visual & Performing Arts (3,719 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Chefs & head cooks workers were High School or Equivalent (147,927 people), Some college (102,379 people), and Associates Degree (76,394 people).

The graphic shows the Chefs & head cooks workforce by gender and educational level.

Skills

Chart

Value

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Chefs & head cooks from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Chefs & head cooks need many skills, but most especially Coordination, Monitoring, Speaking.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Chefs and Head Cooks from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.07%, but Chefs and Head Cooks are expected to see a growth of 7.1% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

For growth projections, the closest comparible industry reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics is Chefs and Head Cooks.

7.1%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.07%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Chefs & head cooks. This profession is expected to grow more than than 3.07%, the average rate of national job growth.