Chefs and Head Cooks Salary in California
State wage data from the BLS OEWS survey, May 2025.
Median annual
$64,500
Median hourly
$31
Average annual
$69,130
Employed in state
32K
The median annual salary for Chefs and Head Cooks in California is $64,500, or about $31 an hour. That is 3% higher than the national median.
Pay in California ranges from $37,380 at the 10th percentile to $101,870 at the 90th percentile. Roughly 32K people work as chefs and head cooks in the state.
Pay distribution in California
10th$37,380
25th$46,320
Median$64,500
75th$81,040
90th$101,870
Salary calculator
- Hourly
- $31.01
- Daily
- $248
- Weekly
- $1,240
- Bi-weekly
- $2,481
- Monthly
- $5,375
- Annual
- $64,500
$64,500 a year is around the 50th percentile for Chefs and Head Cookss in California. The median is $64,500.
Chefs and Head Cooks pay by metro area in California
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $79,020 | 1.3K |
| Napa, CA | $78,960 | 300 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $73,570 | 460 |
| Salinas, CA | $72,440 | 360 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $69,990 | 11K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $68,970 | 5.3K |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $65,060 | 520 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $64,480 | 2.8K |
| Vallejo, CA | $63,230 | 170 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $62,620 | 480 |
| Fresno, CA | $61,870 | 490 |
| Modesto, CA | $61,330 | 170 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $60,600 | 3.9K |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $59,400 | 270 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $59,190 | 200 |
Other jobs in California
- Home Health and Personal Care Aides$35,800
- Fast Food and Counter Workers$31,200
- Retail Salespersons$35,410
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand$40,240
- Registered Nurses$97,550
- Cashiers$32,880
- Office Clerks, General$45,010
- Stockers and Order Fillers$37,330
- General and Operations Managers$105,770
- Software Developers$135,980
- Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners$36,840
- Waiters and Waitresses$35,230
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers$58,640
- Security Guards$38,020
- Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$36,780
- Customer Service Representatives$44,770
- Accountants and Auditors$83,680
- Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse$35,660
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive$47,540
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel$69,990