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This question is about executive chef salaries.
What is a good starting salary for an Executive Chef?
A good starting salary for an executive chef is $39,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for an executive chef in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for executive chefs is $57,872, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for an executive chef can vary by state, as we show below.
What Is A Good Entry-Level Executive Chef Salary By State?
The following table shows how much an entry level executive chef earns in each state. Zippia used data from the BLS, public records, and job postings to create these estimates.
| State | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| Hawaii | $63,000 | $5,250 | $1,211 | $30.29 |
| California | $53,000 | $4,416 | $1,019 | $25.48 |
| Washington | $52,000 | $4,333 | $1,000 | $25.0 |
| Nevada | $51,000 | $4,250 | $980 | $24.52 |
| Massachusetts | $46,000 | $3,833 | $884 | $22.12 |
| Delaware | $45,000 | $3,750 | $865 | $21.63 |
| Vermont | $45,000 | $3,750 | $865 | $21.63 |
| Rhode Island | $45,000 | $3,750 | $865 | $21.63 |
| New Jersey | $45,000 | $3,750 | $865 | $21.63 |
| Oregon | $44,000 | $3,666 | $846 | $21.15 |
| District of Columbia | $42,000 | $3,500 | $807 | $20.19 |
| Illinois | $41,000 | $3,416 | $788 | $19.71 |
| New Mexico | $41,000 | $3,416 | $788 | $19.71 |
| Pennsylvania | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| Maryland | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| Maine | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| Texas | $39,000 | $3,250 | $750 | $18.75 |
| Arizona | $39,000 | $3,250 | $750 | $18.75 |
| Colorado | $39,000 | $3,250 | $750 | $18.75 |
| Missouri | $39,000 | $3,250 | $750 | $18.75 |
| Michigan | $39,000 | $3,250 | $750 | $18.75 |
| New York | $39,000 | $3,250 | $750 | $18.75 |
| North Dakota | $38,000 | $3,166 | $730 | $18.27 |
| Virginia | $38,000 | $3,166 | $730 | $18.27 |
| Kansas | $38,000 | $3,166 | $730 | $18.27 |
| Mississippi | $37,000 | $3,083 | $711 | $17.79 |
| Minnesota | $37,000 | $3,083 | $711 | $17.79 |
| New Hampshire | $37,000 | $3,083 | $711 | $17.79 |
| Florida | $36,000 | $3,000 | $692 | $17.31 |
| Georgia | $36,000 | $3,000 | $692 | $17.31 |
| Kentucky | $36,000 | $3,000 | $692 | $17.31 |
| Oklahoma | $36,000 | $3,000 | $692 | $17.31 |
| Montana | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| North Carolina | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| West Virginia | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Indiana | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| South Dakota | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Tennessee | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| Louisiana | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| Ohio | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| Idaho | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| Alabama | $33,000 | $2,750 | $634 | $15.87 |
| Alaska | $33,000 | $2,750 | $634 | $15.87 |
| Arkansas | $32,000 | $2,666 | $615 | $15.38 |
| Connecticut | $32,000 | $2,666 | $615 | $15.38 |
| Wisconsin | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Nebraska | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Utah | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| South Carolina | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Iowa | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
| Wyoming | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
What are The 10 Highest Paying Cities for Entry-Level Executive Chef Jobs?
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an entry level executive chef job is above the national average. Topping the list is San Francisco, CA.
| City | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| San Francisco, CA | $67,000 | $5,583 | $1,288 | $32.21 |
| Seattle, WA | $63,000 | $5,250 | $1,211 | $30.29 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $61,000 | $5,083 | $1,173 | $29.33 |
| Boston, MA | $54,000 | $4,500 | $1,038 | $25.96 |
| Washington, DC | $51,000 | $4,250 | $980 | $24.52 |
| San Antonio, TX | $49,000 | $4,083 | $942 | $23.56 |
| Chicago, IL | $49,000 | $4,083 | $942 | $23.56 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $48,000 | $4,000 | $923 | $23.08 |
| Baltimore, MD | $48,000 | $4,000 | $923 | $23.08 |
| Arlington, VA | $46,000 | $3,833 | $884 | $22.12 |
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