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Best states for a chef
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Chef opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for chefs, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for chefs.Our research found that Nevada is the best state for chefs, while Hawaii and New Jersey are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Nevada has a median salary of $51,293 and Hawaii has the highest median salary among all 50 states for chefs.
Nevada is the best state for jobs for chefs, and South Dakota is the worst. The most common pay in Nevada is $51,293, while the median pay in South Dakota is $34,538.Nevada is the best state, and Hilo is the city with the highest pay for chefs.
10 best states for chefs in 2026
1. Nevada
Total chef jobs: 214 Average annual salary: $51,293 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Location Quotient: 1.43
2. Texas
Total chef jobs: 1,776 Average annual salary: $52,587 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
3. New Jersey
Total chef jobs: 402 Average annual salary: $66,145 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Location Quotient: 0.71
4. Pennsylvania
Total chef jobs: 723 Average annual salary: $51,526 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Location Quotient: 0.87
5. Georgia
Total chef jobs: 891 Average annual salary: $48,701 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
6. Hawaii
Total chef jobs: 34 Average annual salary: $71,544 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Location Quotient: 0.57
7. Alaska
Total chef jobs: 85 Average annual salary: $50,304 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Location Quotient: 1.43
8. Washington
Total chef jobs: 338 Average annual salary: $57,071 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Location Quotient: 0.65
9. Massachusetts
Total chef jobs: 449 Average annual salary: $55,548 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Location Quotient: 0.68
10. Rhode Island
Total chef jobs: 66 Average annual salary: $51,863 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Location Quotient: 0.76
Chef jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a chef
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a chef
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $51,293 | $34,000 | 2,998,039 | 214 |
| 2 | Texas | $52,587 | $36,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,776 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $66,145 | $42,000 | 9,005,644 | 402 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $51,526 | $33,000 | 12,805,537 | 723 |
| 5 | Georgia | $48,701 | $34,000 | 10,429,379 | 891 |
| 6 | Hawaii | $71,544 | $56,000 | 1,427,538 | 34 |
| 7 | Alaska | $50,304 | $40,000 | 739,795 | 85 |
| 8 | Washington | $57,071 | $39,000 | 7,405,743 | 338 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $55,548 | $35,000 | 6,859,819 | 449 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $51,863 | $32,000 | 1,059,639 | 66 |
| 11 | Michigan | $47,395 | $32,000 | 9,962,311 | 536 |
| 12 | Oklahoma | $45,499 | $32,000 | 3,930,864 | 288 |
| 13 | California | $54,271 | $36,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,812 |
| 14 | Arizona | $47,580 | $32,000 | 7,016,270 | 497 |
| 15 | Illinois | $47,560 | $33,000 | 12,802,023 | 865 |
| 16 | Alabama | $46,431 | $32,000 | 4,874,747 | 276 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $46,088 | $32,000 | 2,088,070 | 135 |
| 18 | Colorado | $45,910 | $32,000 | 5,607,154 | 549 |
| 19 | Delaware | $50,789 | $33,000 | 961,939 | 55 |
| 20 | Vermont | $49,964 | $32,000 | 623,657 | 31 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $51,291 | $34,000 | 693,972 | 98 |
| 22 | Florida | $43,207 | $28,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,668 |
| 23 | Missouri | $45,055 | $32,000 | 6,113,532 | 388 |
| 24 | Montana | $44,671 | $32,000 | 1,050,493 | 77 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $46,969 | $33,000 | 755,393 | 39 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $43,797 | $30,000 | 1,815,857 | 96 |
| 27 | Indiana | $41,629 | $29,000 | 6,666,818 | 581 |
| 28 | Maine | $47,627 | $30,000 | 1,335,907 | 60 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $48,020 | $30,000 | 3,588,184 | 183 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $45,875 | $29,000 | 1,342,795 | 96 |
| 31 | Maryland | $48,353 | $32,000 | 6,052,177 | 338 |
| 32 | Utah | $40,357 | $28,000 | 3,101,833 | 277 |
| 33 | New York | $44,972 | $28,000 | 19,849,399 | 809 |
| 34 | Oregon | $46,135 | $31,000 | 4,142,776 | 206 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $40,241 | $28,000 | 3,004,279 | 179 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $40,324 | $27,000 | 10,273,419 | 791 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $38,504 | $26,000 | 4,684,333 | 287 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $37,252 | $26,000 | 2,984,100 | 198 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $35,248 | $24,000 | 6,715,984 | 595 |
| 40 | Ohio | $36,109 | $25,000 | 11,658,609 | 842 |
| 41 | Virginia | $39,851 | $26,000 | 8,470,020 | 608 |
| 42 | Kansas | $40,345 | $28,000 | 2,913,123 | 126 |
| 43 | Minnesota | $39,324 | $27,000 | 5,576,606 | 390 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $34,789 | $24,000 | 4,454,189 | 295 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $33,257 | $23,000 | 5,024,369 | 401 |
| 46 | Idaho | $35,857 | $25,000 | 1,716,943 | 96 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $27,439 | $19,000 | 579,315 | 41 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $34,540 | $24,000 | 1,920,076 | 118 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $34,164 | $24,000 | 5,795,483 | 277 |
| 50 | Iowa | $33,821 | $24,000 | 3,145,711 | 174 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $34,538 | $24,000 | 869,666 | 36 |
Highest paying states for chefs
| Rank | State | Avg. Chef Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $51,293 |
| 2 | Texas | $52,587 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $66,145 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $51,526 |
| 5 | Georgia | $48,701 |
| 6 | Hawaii | $71,544 |
| 7 | Alaska | $50,304 |
| 8 | Washington | $57,071 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $55,548 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $51,863 |
| 11 | Michigan | $47,395 |
| 12 | Oklahoma | $45,499 |
| 13 | California | $54,271 |
| 14 | Arizona | $47,580 |
| 15 | Illinois | $47,560 |
| 16 | Alabama | $46,431 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $46,088 |
| 18 | Colorado | $45,910 |
| 19 | Delaware | $50,789 |
| 20 | Vermont | $49,964 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $51,291 |
| 22 | Florida | $43,207 |
| 23 | Missouri | $45,055 |
| 24 | Montana | $44,671 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $46,969 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $43,797 |
| 27 | Indiana | $41,629 |
| 28 | Maine | $47,627 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $48,020 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $45,875 |
| 31 | Maryland | $48,353 |
| 32 | Utah | $40,357 |
| 33 | New York | $44,972 |
| 34 | Oregon | $46,135 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $40,241 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $40,324 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $38,504 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $37,252 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $35,248 |
| 40 | Ohio | $36,109 |
| 41 | Virginia | $39,851 |
| 42 | Kansas | $40,345 |
| 43 | Minnesota | $39,324 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $34,789 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $33,257 |
| 46 | Idaho | $35,857 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $27,439 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $34,540 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $34,164 |
| 50 | Iowa | $33,821 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $34,538 |
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Updated January 8, 2025