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Chef/catering salary
Average chef/catering salary
$47,693
Average Chef/Catering Salary
The average annual salary for a Chef/Catering is $47,693, translating to about $23 per hour. This figure reflects a variety of factors, including experience level, geographic location, and specific job responsibilities.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level chefs may start at a lower salary, while those with several years of experience often see significant increases. As you advance, consider specializing in areas such as pastry, catering management, or culinary arts to enhance your earning potential.
Where Can You Earn More?
Salaries vary widely across different states and cities. For instance, metropolitan areas typically offer higher pay rates compared to rural locations. Understanding regional salary data can help you make informed decisions about where to pursue job opportunities.
Highest Paying Cities for Chef/Caterings
Some cities with the highest salaries for chefs include San Francisco, New York, and Seattle. These urban centers not only boast a higher cost of living but also a vibrant dining scene that demands skilled culinary professionals.
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Where can a Chef/Catering earn more?
Chef/catering salaries by experience level
Average chef/catering salary by state
The average chef/catering salary in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average chef/catering salary states are Tennessee, Louisiana, and Montana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for chef/caterings
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $71,120 | $34.19 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $66,168 | $31.81 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $67,843 | $32.62 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $90,173 | $43.35 |
| 5 | New York | $65,998 | $31.73 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $60,746 | $29.20 |
| 7 | Nevada | $60,064 | $28.88 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $73,009 | $35.10 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $61,147 | $29.40 |
| 10 | Michigan | $56,142 | $26.99 |
| 11 | California | $65,922 | $31.69 |
| 12 | Arizona | $50,976 | $24.51 |
| 13 | Ohio | $54,534 | $26.22 |
| 14 | Alaska | $49,954 | $24.02 |
| 15 | Indiana | $49,571 | $23.83 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $64,463 | $30.99 |
| 17 | Virginia | $49,850 | $23.97 |
| 18 | Delaware | $54,161 | $26.04 |
| 19 | Texas | $47,803 | $22.98 |
| 20 | Maryland | $53,399 | $25.67 |
| 21 | Maine | $51,637 | $24.83 |
| 22 | Mississippi | $47,660 | $22.91 |
| 23 | Georgia | $46,518 | $22.36 |
| 24 | Illinois | $51,530 | $24.77 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $43,994 | $21.15 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $45,124 | $21.69 |
| 27 | Florida | $44,664 | $21.47 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $46,765 | $22.48 |
| 29 | Alabama | $44,562 | $21.42 |
| 30 | Washington | $48,184 | $23.17 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $44,234 | $21.27 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $45,259 | $21.76 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $41,278 | $19.85 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $41,404 | $19.91 |
| 35 | Colorado | $40,567 | $19.50 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $42,544 | $20.45 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $41,555 | $19.98 |
| 38 | Montana | $35,621 | $17.13 |
| 39 | Missouri | $41,892 | $20.14 |
| 40 | Oregon | $43,472 | $20.90 |
| 41 | New Mexico | $43,477 | $20.90 |
| 42 | Vermont | $42,032 | $20.21 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $36,540 | $17.57 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $40,009 | $19.24 |
| 45 | Utah | $31,759 | $15.27 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $38,752 | $18.63 |
| 47 | Iowa | $38,848 | $18.68 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $37,467 | $18.01 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $35,826 | $17.22 |
| 50 | Kansas | $34,281 | $16.48 |
| 51 | Idaho | $28,352 | $13.63 |
Highest paying cities for chef/caterings
The highest-paying cities for chef/caterings are Newark, NJ, Philadelphia, PA, and Santa Cruz, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newark, NJ | $90,275 | $43.40 |
| 2 | Philadelphia, PA | $74,010 | $35.58 |
| 3 | Santa Cruz, CA | $69,792 | $33.55 |
| 4 | Manchester, NH | $67,857 | $32.62 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $66,383 | $31.91 |
| 6 | Providence, RI | $66,066 | $31.76 |
| 7 | Worcester, MA | $61,316 | $29.48 |
| 8 | Westport, CT | $60,970 | $29.31 |
| 9 | Las Vegas, NV | $59,952 | $28.82 |
| 10 | Chesterfield, MI | $57,250 | $27.52 |
| 11 | Towson, MD | $53,716 | $25.82 |
| 12 | Chicago, IL | $51,896 | $24.95 |
| 13 | Winchester, VA | $51,047 | $24.54 |
| 14 | Mesa, AZ | $50,764 | $24.41 |
| 15 | Seattle, WA | $48,507 | $23.32 |
| 16 | Austin, TX | $48,289 | $23.22 |
| 17 | Chapel Hill, NC | $46,334 | $22.28 |
| 18 | Portland, OR | $42,899 | $20.62 |
| 19 | Florence, SC | $42,059 | $20.22 |
| 20 | Kansas City, MO | $41,498 | $19.95 |
Chef/catering salary details
A chef/catering's salary ranges from $27,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $84,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a chef/catering's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $84,000 | $7,000 | $40 |
| 75th Percentile | $64,000 | $5,333 | $31 |
| Average | $47,693 | $3,974 | $23 |
| 25th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
| 10th Percentile | $27,000 | $2,250 | $13 |
Highest paying chef/catering jobs
The highest paying types of chef/caterings are executive chef, chef manager, and chef de cuisine.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head Cook | $44,412 | $3,701 | $21.35 | 156,227 |
| Cooking Chef | $34,973 | $2,914 | $16.81 | 136,558 |
| Banquet Chef | $48,026 | $4,002 | $23.09 | 23,474 |
| Pastry Chef | $44,879 | $3,740 | $21.58 | 18,844 |
| Sushi Chef | $42,969 | $3,581 | $20.66 | 17,846 |
| Head Chef | $45,470 | $3,789 | $21.86 | 27,331 |
Top companies hiring chef/caterings now:
Which companies pay chef/caterings the most?
Chef/catering salaries at Cornell University and University of California, Berkeley are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average chef/catering salary at companies like Daniels Lounge and Goodwin Recruiting are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cornell University | $86,113 | $41.40 |
| 2 | University of California-Berkeley | $55,253 | $26.56 |
| 3 | Daniels Lounge | $53,534 | $25.74 |
| 4 | Goodwin Recruiting | $53,420 | $25.68 |
| 5 | PLUM | $52,095 | $25.05 |
| 6 | Sodexo Management, Inc. | $51,850 | $24.93 |
| 7 | Gourmet Caterers | $50,408 | $24.23 |
| 8 | Cal-am Properties, Inc. | $39,398 | $18.94 |
| 9 | Chapel Hill Country Club | $36,672 | $17.63 |
| 10 | Buehler | $36,598 | $17.60 |
| 11 | Compass Group USA | $35,275 | $16.96 |
| 12 | University Health | $34,266 | $16.47 |
| 13 | Vail Resorts | $33,088 | $15.91 |
| 14 | Alterra Mountain | $32,726 | $15.73 |
| 15 | Stadium | $32,709 | $15.73 |
| 16 | Aramark | $31,748 | $15.26 |
| 17 | University of Richmond | $30,199 | $14.52 |
| 18 | Elite Hospitality | $30,020 | $14.43 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Chef/Catering salary by industry
The average chef/catering salary varies across industries:
- The average chef/catering salary in the technology industry is $44,624, the highest of any industry.
- The average chef/catering salary in the finance industry is $37,183.
- Chef/caterings in the retail industry earn an average salary of $34,925, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for chef/caterings
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $44,624 | $21.45 |
| 2 | Hospitality | $37,183 | $17.88 |
| 3 | Health Care | $36,595 | $17.59 |
| 4 | Retail | $34,925 | $16.79 |
High paying chef/catering jobs
Chef/catering salary trends
The average chef/catering salary has risen by $9,855 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average chef/catering earned $37,838 annually, but today, they earn $47,693 a year. That works out to a 24% change in pay for chef/caterings over the last decade.
Compare chef/catering salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average chef/catering salary over time
Compare chef/catering salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Chef/catering salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $47,700 | $22.93 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $46,000 | $22.13 | +6.0% |
| 2023 | $43,300 | $20.82 | +5.2% |
| 2022 | $41,100 | $19.74 | +6.0% |
| 2021 | $38,600 | $18.55 | +3.9% |
Recently added chef/catering salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compass Group, North America | Catering Chef-Indiana University | Indianapolis, IN | 06/12/2025 | $68,000 |
| Aramark | Catering Chef-Rutgers University Camden | Camden, NJ | 06/11/2025 | $65,000 |
| Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority | Catering Specialist-Chef | Vienna, VA | 05/28/2025 | $55,746 |
| Live Nation Entertainment | Catering Chef | Wheatland, CA | 05/13/2025 | $50,088 |
| Mis En Place | Jeffrey A. Miller Catering Seeks A Lead Catering Chef | | Lansdowne, PA | 05/12/2025 | $50,000 |
| Compass Group USA Inc. | Catering Chef-Indiana University | Indianapolis, IN | 05/08/2025 | $68,000 |
| Trolley Hospitality Companies | Catering Event Chef | Norfolk, VA | 05/06/2025 | $41,740 |
| Compass Group, North America | Catering Chef | Chandler, AZ | 05/02/2025 | $41,740 |
| Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority | Catering Specialist-Chef | Vienna, VA | 04/26/2025 | $55,746 |
| Live Nation Entertainment Inc. | Catering Chef | Wheatland, CA | 04/18/2025 | $50,088 |
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