Money · 1 of 5
What chefs make
Median
$62,470
Bottom tenth
$37,900
Top tenth
$98,560
The national median is $62,470 a year, the bottom tenth earn $37,900 or less and the top tenth $98,560 or more (2025 federal wage survey). This is the survey group called Chefs and Head Cooks, which means the people running a kitchen. Line cooks sit in a separate occupation with a lower median, $37,390 in 2025, and that is where almost everyone starts.