Best states for a chef manager

Q: What is the best state for chef managers?

The best state to be a chef manager is New Jersey based on chef manager salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for chef managers?

The highest paying state for chef managers is Idaho based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for chef managers?

The worst state for chef managers is Idaho, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

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Job opportunities vary from state to state, and food preparation and restaurant careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to chef manager jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for chef managers.This way, if you are newly entering the job market, or you are looking to change jobs, you know which places are the best for chef manager jobs.

We figured that the best places for chef manager jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.If you are currently seeking employment as a chef manager, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.

10 best states for chef managers in 2026

1. New Jersey
Total chef manager jobs: 335
Average annual salary: $71,894
Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000
Location Quotient:
0.99
Chef manager jobs in New Jersey
2. District of Columbia
Total chef manager jobs: 147
Average annual salary: $61,393
Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $92,000
Location Quotient:
2.06
Chef manager jobs in District of Columbia
3. Alaska
Total chef manager jobs: 80
Average annual salary: $57,275
Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $71,000
Location Quotient:
2.25
Chef manager jobs in Alaska
4. Virginia
Total chef manager jobs: 484
Average annual salary: $56,618
Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000
Location Quotient:
1.2
Chef manager jobs in Virginia
5. Pennsylvania
Total chef manager jobs: 500
Average annual salary: $57,812
Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $87,000
Location Quotient:
1.01
Chef manager jobs in Pennsylvania
6. New Hampshire
Total chef manager jobs: 55
Average annual salary: $62,222
Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $92,000
Location Quotient:
0.74
Chef manager jobs in New Hampshire
7. Washington
Total chef manager jobs: 312
Average annual salary: $58,236
Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $87,000
Location Quotient:
1
Chef manager jobs in Washington
8. Connecticut
Total chef manager jobs: 155
Average annual salary: $55,207
Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $82,000
Location Quotient:
1.1
Chef manager jobs in Connecticut
9. Massachusetts
Total chef manager jobs: 322
Average annual salary: $59,277
Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000
Location Quotient:
0.82
Chef manager jobs in Massachusetts
10. Georgia
Total chef manager jobs: 503
Average annual salary: $50,927
Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $75,000
Location Quotient:
1.14
Chef manager jobs in Georgia

Chef manager jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a chef manager

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a chef manager

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	New Jersey	$71,894	$47,000	9,005,644	335
2	District of Columbia	$61,393	$40,000	693,972	147
3	Alaska	$57,275	$45,000	739,795	80
4	Virginia	$56,618	$37,000	8,470,020	484
5	Pennsylvania	$57,812	$38,000	12,805,537	500
6	New Hampshire	$62,222	$41,000	1,342,795	55
7	Washington	$58,236	$38,000	7,405,743	312
8	Connecticut	$55,207	$36,000	3,588,184	155
9	Massachusetts	$59,277	$39,000	6,859,819	322
10	Georgia	$50,927	$34,000	10,429,379	503
11	California	$57,847	$37,000	39,536,653	1,307
12	Michigan	$51,173	$35,000	9,962,311	336
13	Rhode Island	$60,036	$40,000	1,059,639	30
14	Ohio	$50,310	$34,000	11,658,609	430
15	Texas	$49,617	$32,000	28,304,596	978
16	Illinois	$52,195	$36,000	12,802,023	516
17	Indiana	$48,579	$34,000	6,666,818	302
18	Nevada	$48,201	$30,000	2,998,039	103
19	Hawaii	$62,618	$48,000	1,427,538	26
20	Wyoming	$48,811	$34,000	579,315	25
21	New York	$49,601	$32,000	19,849,399	646
22	Oregon	$50,636	$33,000	4,142,776	125
23	Florida	$46,035	$28,000	20,984,400	863
24	North Carolina	$46,349	$31,000	10,273,419	383
25	Maine	$49,272	$33,000	1,335,907	35
26	Delaware	$47,698	$31,000	961,939	46
27	Minnesota	$46,433	$33,000	5,576,606	213
28	Colorado	$45,940	$32,000	5,607,154	270
29	Arizona	$43,224	$28,000	7,016,270	341
30	Maryland	$45,112	$29,000	6,052,177	302
31	Missouri	$43,119	$30,000	6,113,532	236
32	Alabama	$43,556	$29,000	4,874,747	136
33	Wisconsin	$42,590	$30,000	5,795,483	193
34	South Carolina	$43,322	$28,000	5,024,369	176
35	North Dakota	$42,220	$30,000	755,393	29
36	Kentucky	$42,030	$29,000	4,454,189	112
37	Montana	$39,484	$27,000	1,050,493	59
38	New Mexico	$44,156	$30,000	2,088,070	33
39	West Virginia	$41,229	$28,000	1,815,857	46
40	South Dakota	$41,852	$30,000	869,666	21
41	Oklahoma	$41,853	$29,000	3,930,864	79
42	Mississippi	$41,054	$27,000	2,984,100	61
43	Nebraska	$40,833	$29,000	1,920,076	62
44	Arkansas	$37,223	$26,000	3,004,279	108
45	Utah	$36,038	$24,000	3,101,833	142
46	Iowa	$39,814	$28,000	3,145,711	83
47	Tennessee	$34,453	$24,000	6,715,984	221
48	Vermont	$39,678	$26,000	623,657	18
49	Louisiana	$35,504	$23,000	4,684,333	87
50	Kansas	$35,629	$25,000	2,913,123	68
51	Idaho	$32,861	$21,000	1,716,943	31

Highest paying states for chef managers

Rank	State	Avg. Chef Manager Salary
1	New Jersey	$71,894
2	District of Columbia	$61,393
3	Alaska	$57,275
4	Virginia	$56,618
5	Pennsylvania	$57,812
6	New Hampshire	$62,222
7	Washington	$58,236
8	Connecticut	$55,207
9	Massachusetts	$59,277
10	Georgia	$50,927
11	California	$57,847
12	Michigan	$51,173
13	Rhode Island	$60,036
14	Ohio	$50,310
15	Texas	$49,617
16	Illinois	$52,195
17	Indiana	$48,579
18	Nevada	$48,201
19	Hawaii	$62,618
20	Wyoming	$48,811
21	New York	$49,601
22	Oregon	$50,636
23	Florida	$46,035
24	North Carolina	$46,349
25	Maine	$49,272
26	Delaware	$47,698
27	Minnesota	$46,433
28	Colorado	$45,940
29	Arizona	$43,224
30	Maryland	$45,112
31	Missouri	$43,119
32	Alabama	$43,556
33	Wisconsin	$42,590
34	South Carolina	$43,322
35	North Dakota	$42,220
36	Kentucky	$42,030
37	Montana	$39,484
38	New Mexico	$44,156
39	West Virginia	$41,229
40	South Dakota	$41,852
41	Oklahoma	$41,853
42	Mississippi	$41,054
43	Nebraska	$40,833
44	Arkansas	$37,223
45	Utah	$36,038
46	Iowa	$39,814
47	Tennessee	$34,453
48	Vermont	$39,678
49	Louisiana	$35,504
50	Kansas	$35,629
51	Idaho	$32,861

Chef manager best states FAQs

What is the best state for chef managers?

What is the highest paying state for chef managers?

What is the worst state for chef managers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common food preparation and restaurant questions.

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Best states for Chef Managers

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse food preparation and restaurant jobs

Total chef manager jobs:	335
Average annual salary:	$71,894
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$47,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$108,000
Location Quotient:	0.99

Best states for a chef manager

10 best states for chef managers in 2026

1. New Jersey

2. District of Columbia

3. Alaska

4. Virginia

5. Pennsylvania

6. New Hampshire

7. Washington

8. Connecticut

9. Massachusetts

10. Georgia