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Kitchen lead salary
Average kitchen lead salary
$35,678
Understanding Kitchen Lead Salaries
The salary for a Kitchen Lead varies based on several factors, including location, experience, and the specific establishment. As of October 2025, the average salary stands at $35,678 per year. Entry-level positions typically earn less, while those with several years of experience can see significant increases.
Factors Influencing Earnings
- Experience Level: Kitchen Leads with more experience often command higher salaries, as their skills in managing kitchen operations become invaluable.
- Location: Certain states offer higher pay rates due to cost of living adjustments and demand for skilled culinary professionals.
- Industry: Working in fine dining or high-end establishments can lead to better compensation compared to fast-casual dining.
Additionally, opportunities for advancement in the culinary field, such as transitioning to managerial roles or specialized culinary positions, can further enhance earning potential. Understanding these elements can help aspiring Kitchen Leads navigate their career paths effectively.
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Where can a Kitchen Lead earn more?
Kitchen lead salaries by experience level
Kitchen lead salary estimates from across the web
Average kitchen lead salary by state
The highest-paying states for kitchen leads are Washington, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. The lowest average kitchen lead salary states are Oklahoma, West Virginia, and Arkansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for kitchen leads
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $44,600 | $21.44 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $39,245 | $18.87 |
| 3 | Wyoming | $40,808 | $19.62 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $43,631 | $20.98 |
| 5 | Washington | $45,819 | $22.03 |
| 6 | Alaska | $39,888 | $19.18 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $44,709 | $21.49 |
| 8 | South Dakota | $37,327 | $17.95 |
| 9 | Maine | $39,544 | $19.01 |
| 10 | Montana | $37,797 | $18.17 |
| 11 | Vermont | $40,884 | $19.66 |
| 12 | Oregon | $42,402 | $20.39 |
| 13 | Colorado | $40,882 | $19.65 |
| 14 | Nebraska | $36,307 | $17.46 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $39,309 | $18.90 |
| 16 | Indiana | $36,028 | $17.32 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $34,574 | $16.62 |
| 18 | Michigan | $36,790 | $17.69 |
| 19 | Ohio | $34,057 | $16.37 |
| 20 | Nevada | $35,210 | $16.93 |
| 21 | Utah | $34,747 | $16.71 |
| 22 | New Jersey | $41,171 | $19.79 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $37,566 | $18.06 |
| 24 | Idaho | $34,767 | $16.71 |
| 25 | Arizona | $36,055 | $17.33 |
| 26 | Delaware | $38,822 | $18.66 |
| 27 | District of Columbia | $41,965 | $20.18 |
| 28 | Iowa | $35,143 | $16.90 |
| 29 | New York | $39,266 | $18.88 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $36,879 | $17.73 |
| 31 | California | $38,263 | $18.40 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $32,115 | $15.44 |
| 33 | Illinois | $33,551 | $16.13 |
| 34 | Florida | $32,920 | $15.83 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $32,940 | $15.84 |
| 36 | Maryland | $35,850 | $17.24 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $30,912 | $14.86 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $28,953 | $13.92 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $29,299 | $14.09 |
| 40 | New Mexico | $29,544 | $14.20 |
| 41 | Virginia | $33,467 | $16.09 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $29,156 | $14.02 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $29,835 | $14.34 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $29,448 | $14.16 |
| 45 | Texas | $30,874 | $14.84 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $31,072 | $14.94 |
| 47 | Alabama | $28,213 | $13.56 |
| 48 | Kansas | $28,308 | $13.61 |
| 49 | Georgia | $29,899 | $14.37 |
| 50 | Missouri | $29,828 | $14.34 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $27,968 | $13.45 |
Highest paying cities for kitchen leads
The highest-paying cities for kitchen leads are Redmond, WA, Boston, MA, and Portland, OR.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Redmond, WA | $45,903 | $22.07 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $44,810 | $21.54 |
| 3 | Portland, OR | $42,489 | $20.43 |
| 4 | Boulder, CO | $41,026 | $19.72 |
| 5 | Fargo, ND | $39,312 | $18.90 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $39,092 | $18.79 |
| 7 | Los Angeles, CA | $37,917 | $18.23 |
| 8 | Plymouth, MN | $37,584 | $18.07 |
| 9 | Hilo, HI | $36,783 | $17.68 |
| 10 | Phoenix, AZ | $36,104 | $17.36 |
| 11 | Dubuque, IA | $35,719 | $17.17 |
| 12 | Alexandria, VA | $34,873 | $16.77 |
| 13 | Evansville, IN | $34,487 | $16.58 |
| 14 | Chicago, IL | $33,684 | $16.19 |
| 15 | Jacksonville, FL | $33,371 | $16.04 |
| 16 | Knoxville, TN | $31,958 | $15.36 |
| 17 | Fort Worth, TX | $30,991 | $14.90 |
| 18 | Charlotte, NC | $30,966 | $14.89 |
| 19 | Atlanta, GA | $30,060 | $14.45 |
| 20 | Saint Louis, MO | $29,607 | $14.23 |
Kitchen lead salary details
A kitchen lead's salary ranges from $27,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $45,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a kitchen lead's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $45,000 | $3,750 | $22 |
| 75th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
| Average | $35,678 | $2,973 | $17 |
| 25th Percentile | $31,000 | $2,583 | $15 |
| 10th Percentile | $27,000 | $2,250 | $13 |
Highest paying kitchen lead jobs
The highest paying types of kitchen leads are kitchen manager, chef/kitchen manager, and front of house manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook Supervisor | $41,118 | $3,426 | $19.77 | 183,387 |
| Catering Coordinator | $34,576 | $2,881 | $16.62 | 19,607 |
| Banquet Captain | $34,428 | $2,869 | $16.55 | 60,883 |
| Deli Manager | $39,221 | $3,268 | $18.86 | 131,359 |
| Bakery Manager | $38,223 | $3,185 | $18.38 | 97,468 |
| Front Of House Manager | $41,163 | $3,430 | $19.79 | 221,210 |
Top companies hiring kitchen leads now:
Which companies pay kitchen leads the most?
Kitchen lead salaries at Zoës Kitchen and Foster Farms are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average kitchen lead salary at companies like Maple Street Biscuit and ECI Communications are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoës Kitchen | $40,273 | $19.36 |
| 2 | Foster Farms | $40,134 | $19.30 |
| 3 | Maple Street Biscuit | $39,308 | $18.90 |
| 4 | ECI Communications | $38,801 | $18.65 |
| 5 | General Mills | $38,656 | $18.58 |
| 6 | PeaceHealth | $38,644 | $18.58 |
| 7 | Texas Roadhouse | $38,174 | $18.35 |
| 8 | SpaceX | $37,972 | $18.26 |
| 9 | Buca di Beppo | $37,671 | $18.11 |
| 10 | Catholic Community Services of Lane County | $37,216 | $17.89 |
| 11 | Teasdale Foods | $36,910 | $17.75 |
| 12 | Hyatt Hotels | $36,747 | $17.67 |
| 13 | Ascend Wellness | $36,656 | $17.62 |
| 14 | Boulder Valley School District | $36,527 | $17.56 |
| 15 | CAPITAL PREP HARBOR SCHOOL | $36,402 | $17.50 |
| 16 | Amazon | $36,183 | $17.40 |
| 17 | Big River Enterprises | $35,955 | $17.29 |
| 18 | Perkins Restaurant & Bakery | $35,808 | $17.22 |
| 19 | Earth Fare | $35,777 | $17.20 |
| 20 | Seasoned | $35,713 | $17.17 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Kitchen lead salary trends
The average kitchen lead salary has risen by $5,181 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average kitchen lead earned $30,497 annually, but today, they earn $35,678 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for kitchen leads over the last decade.
Compare kitchen lead salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average kitchen lead salary over time
Compare kitchen lead salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Kitchen lead salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $35,700 | $17.15 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $34,500 | $16.57 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $33,500 | $16.10 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | $33,000 | $15.86 | +1.5% |
| 2021 | $32,500 | $15.62 | +3.6% |
Recently added kitchen lead salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perkins Restaurants | Kitchen Leader | Bloomington, MN | 06/28/2025 | $37,566 |
| Landry's | Kitchen Lead (Hourly) | Sacramento, CA | 06/26/2025 | $45,914 |
| Compass Group USA Inc. | Kitchen Utility Lead | Plainville, MA | 06/25/2025 | $37,566 |
| Compass Group USA Inc. | Kitchen Utility Lead and | Waukesha, WI | 06/25/2025 | $31,305 |
| Compass Group USA Inc. | Kitchen Utility Lead | Lakewood, CO | 06/25/2025 | $41,740 |
| Compass Group USA Inc. | Kitchen Utility Lead | Houston, TX | 06/25/2025 | $31,305 |
| Compass Group USA Inc. | Kitchen Utility Lead | San Francisco, CA | 06/25/2025 | $62,610 |
| Delaware North Companies | Kitchen Lead, Progressive Field | Cleveland, OH | 06/25/2025 | $43,827 |
| Burma Inc. | Kitchen Lead | San Francisco, CA | 06/25/2025 | $56,349 |
| So-Cal Boys Restaurant Group Inc. | Kitchen Lead | Riverside, CA | 06/16/2025 | $45,914 |
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