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Job outlook for cooking chefs in the United States
Cooking chef job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected cooking chef job growth rate is 15% from 2018-2028.
About 23,600 new jobs for cooking chefs are projected over the next decade.
Cooking chef salaries have increased 24% for cooking chefs in the last 5 years.
There are over 39,638 cooking chefs currently employed in the United States.
There are 136,558 active cooking chef job openings in the US.
The average cooking chef salary is $34,973.
Are cooking chef jobs in demand?
Cooking chef job and salary trends over time
Cooking chef jobs over time
Cooking chef job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 39,638 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 30,990 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 39,143 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 39,269 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 40,133 | 0.01% |
Average cooking chef salary over time
Cooking chef salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $34,973 | $16.81 | +3.6% |
| 2025 | $33,761 | $16.23 | +6.3% |
| 2024 | $31,750 | $15.26 | +5.5% |
| 2023 | $30,105 | $14.47 | +6.4% |
| 2022 | $28,290 | $13.60 | +4.0% |
Cooking chef jobs by state
Most common states for cooking chefs
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 739,795 | 138 | 19% |
| 2 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,003 | 18% |
| 3 | Florida | 20,984,400 | 3,548 | 17% |
| 4 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,744 | 17% |
| 5 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 1,123 | 17% |
| 6 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 519 | 17% |
| 7 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 121 | 17% |
| 8 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 1,879 | 16% |
| 9 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 1,139 | 16% |
| 10 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,070 | 16% |
| 11 | Texas | 28,304,596 | 4,221 | 15% |
| 12 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,936 | 15% |
| 13 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 1,530 | 15% |
| 14 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,312 | 15% |
| 15 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 835 | 15% |
| 16 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 577 | 15% |
| 17 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 479 | 15% |
| 18 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 113 | 15% |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 1,806 | 14% |
| 20 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 183 | 14% |
Most common cities for cooking chefs
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bridgeton | 2 | 8% | $45,997 |
| 2 | Billerica | 3 | 7% | $43,296 |
| 3 | Fridley | 2 | 7% | $39,028 |
| 4 | Orem | 3 | 3% | $25,897 |
| 5 | Plantation | 3 | 3% | $31,870 |
| 6 | Alpharetta | 2 | 3% | $33,754 |
| 7 | Burnsville | 2 | 3% | $38,862 |
| 8 | Fort Lauderdale | 4 | 2% | $31,861 |
| 9 | Newport News | 3 | 2% | $30,849 |
| 10 | Albuquerque | 3 | 1% | $32,174 |
| 11 | Atlanta | 3 | 1% | $33,800 |
| 12 | Colorado Springs | 3 | 1% | $36,490 |
| 13 | Miami | 3 | 1% | $31,831 |
| 14 | New York | 3 | 0% | $39,222 |
| 15 | Dallas | 2 | 0% | $36,360 |
| 16 | Denver | 2 | 0% | $36,579 |
Cooking Chef job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of cooking chef experts
San Diego Mesa College
Tonya Whitfield
Professor Culinary Arts/ Culinary Management San Diego Mesa CollegeSan Diego Mesa College
Culinary Arts And Related Services
What general advice would you give to a Cooking Chef?
Tonya Whitfield: The more skills you can obtain while in college and/or training the higher the wage. For example, I trained in classical culinary techniques. My college offers certificates that specialize in Meat & Seafood fabrication and Baking & Pastry. Why not take that extra class or two to gain more technical training to make me more of a value higher. My pay is higher due to my skill being more. Plus, I am saving the employer training hours which will benefit for higher pay.