How Much Does an Executive Chef Make in the United States?
The average base salary for an Executive Chef in the United States in 2024 is a month or $80,040 per year, according to the most recent data averaged from ZipRecruiter, Indeed and Talent.com.
Average Executive Chef Base Salary:
The average wage for an Executive Chef is per hour.
Executive Chefs are typically excluded from tip pool distributions.
Their primary compensation comes in the form of a salary based on experience, skills and educational background.
Annual Mean Wage of Executive Chefs by State
[Calculated using Talent.com, Salary.com and Indeed data]
This map is interactive. Hover your mouse over different parts of the map to see detailed data.
Executive Chef Salary in Major US Cities
Annual mean wage
$89,396
Annual mean wage
$104,902
Annual mean wage
$93,483
Annual mean wage
$97,949
[Calculated using ZipRecruiter, Talent.com and Indeed data]
High-Paying Cities for Executive Chefs
| City | Avg Salary | Avg Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
| Miami, FL | 89,396 | 42.98 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 97,949 | 47.09 |
| NYC, NY | 104,902 | 50.43 |
| Chicago, IL | 93,483 | 44.94 |
Average Executive Chef Salary by State
Explore the average Executive Chef salary by state.
| State | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $75,675 |
| Alaska | $85,831 |
| Arizona | $79,796 |
| Arkansas | $72,871 |
| California | $94,842 |
| Colorado | $82,865 |
| Connecticut | $87,552 |
| Delaware | $76,930 |
| Florida | $82,023 |
| Georgia | $80,676 |
| Hawaii | $85,732 |
| Idaho | $78,272 |
| Illinois | $86,507 |
| Indiana | $77,464 |
| Iowa | $74,047 |
| Kansas | $73,596 |
| Kentucky | $76,024 |
| Louisiana | $77,786 |
| Maine | $79,868 |
| Maryland | $83,099 |
| Massachusetts | $90,617 |
| Michigan | $78,124 |
| Minnesota | $80,681 |
| Mississippi | $71,493 |
| Missouri | $76,309 |
| Montana | $73,928 |
| Nebraska | $78,508 |
| Nevada | $97,600 |
| New Hampshire | $79,361 |
| New Jersey | $88,970 |
| New Mexico | $76,460 |
| New York | $94,100 |
| North Carolina | $77,781 |
| North Dakota | $70,751 |
| Ohio | $78,146 |
| Oklahoma | $78,582 |
| Oregon | $79,018 |
| Pennsylvania | $81,826 |
| Rhode Island | $87,598 |
| South Carolina | $77,771 |
| South Dakota | $68,539 |
| Tennessee | $79,225 |
| Texas | $80,289 |
| Utah | $78,025 |
| Vermont | $79,656 |
| Virginia | $80,285 |
| Washington | $88,927 |
| West Virginia | $68,369 |
| Wisconsin | $79,242 |
| Wyoming | $81,094 |
| District of Columbia | $90,990 |
How Much Do Similar Careers to Executive Chefs Get Paid?
On average, Executive Chefs earn more than Head Chefs and Personal Chefs but less than Private Chefs.
| Job Title | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Head Chef | |
| Personal Chef | |
| Private Chef |
Labor Laws and Taxes for Executive Chefs
As an Executive Chef, you need to be aware of the minimum wage, tipped wage credit, overtime pay and leave policies in your state.
Check out the guides below or view more labor laws:
To easily calculate federal, state and local taxes in your state, use our free Paycheck Calculator.
