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Assistant chef salary
Average assistant chef salary
$37,670
Average Assistant Chef Salary
The average salary for an assistant chef in the United States is approximately $37,670 per year, or about $18 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific sector within the culinary industry.
How Much Does an Assistant Chef Make?
Entry-level assistant chefs typically earn less, while those with several years of experience can command higher wages. For instance, those working in high-demand areas or upscale establishments may see salaries increase substantially.
Where Can an Assistant Chef Earn More?
States such as California, New York, and Florida tend to offer higher salaries due to a greater demand for culinary professionals. The cost of living in these regions is also a significant factor influencing salary levels.
Salary Estimates from Across the Web
Online resources provide a range of salary estimates, reflecting the competitive nature of the culinary field. It’s advisable for aspiring chefs to research local job markets and salary expectations to make informed career decisions.
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Where can an Assistant Chef earn more?
Assistant chef salaries by experience level
Assistant chef salary estimates from across the web
Average assistant chef salary by state
The highest-paying states for assistant chefs are New Jersey, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. The lowest average assistant chef salary states are Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for assistant chefs
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $60,038 | $28.86 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $56,172 | $27.01 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $57,052 | $27.43 |
| 4 | New York | $54,730 | $26.31 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $67,998 | $32.69 |
| 6 | Alaska | $45,880 | $22.06 |
| 7 | Virginia | $50,279 | $24.17 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $57,540 | $27.66 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $52,559 | $25.27 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $51,669 | $24.84 |
| 11 | Michigan | $45,470 | $21.86 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $53,116 | $25.54 |
| 13 | California | $50,831 | $24.44 |
| 14 | Maine | $46,710 | $22.46 |
| 15 | Texas | $40,538 | $19.49 |
| 16 | Colorado | $42,103 | $20.24 |
| 17 | North Carolina | $38,910 | $18.71 |
| 18 | Ohio | $40,117 | $19.29 |
| 19 | Florida | $39,651 | $19.06 |
| 20 | Indiana | $39,327 | $18.91 |
| 21 | Georgia | $38,551 | $18.53 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $36,882 | $17.73 |
| 23 | Delaware | $44,579 | $21.43 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $40,031 | $19.25 |
| 25 | Illinois | $41,592 | $20.00 |
| 26 | North Dakota | $37,029 | $17.80 |
| 27 | Washington | $42,077 | $20.23 |
| 28 | Maryland | $41,598 | $20.00 |
| 29 | South Carolina | $36,787 | $17.69 |
| 30 | Nevada | $35,336 | $16.99 |
| 31 | Alabama | $36,703 | $17.65 |
| 32 | Arizona | $34,555 | $16.61 |
| 33 | Vermont | $37,782 | $18.16 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $34,430 | $16.55 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $36,461 | $17.53 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $34,957 | $16.81 |
| 37 | Montana | $30,779 | $14.80 |
| 38 | Missouri | $34,308 | $16.49 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $33,754 | $16.23 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $34,111 | $16.40 |
| 41 | Oregon | $35,210 | $16.93 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $35,053 | $16.85 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $33,806 | $16.25 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $28,439 | $13.67 |
| 45 | Utah | $25,658 | $12.34 |
| 46 | Iowa | $32,122 | $15.44 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $32,227 | $15.49 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $29,512 | $14.19 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $30,614 | $14.72 |
| 50 | Idaho | $23,200 | $11.15 |
| 51 | Kansas | $28,179 | $13.55 |
Highest paying cities for assistant chefs
The highest-paying cities for assistant chefs are Atlantic City, NJ, New York, NY, and San Francisco, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlantic City, NJ | $66,693 | $32.06 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $54,879 | $26.38 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $53,311 | $25.63 |
| 4 | Corpus Christi, TX | $42,204 | $20.29 |
| 5 | Boulder, CO | $41,954 | $20.17 |
| 6 | Chicago, IL | $41,881 | $20.14 |
| 7 | Bethesda, MD | $40,859 | $19.64 |
| 8 | Minneapolis, MN | $40,061 | $19.26 |
| 9 | Miami, FL | $40,032 | $19.25 |
| 10 | Indianapolis, IN | $38,852 | $18.68 |
| 11 | Columbus, OH | $38,693 | $18.60 |
| 12 | Atlanta, GA | $38,454 | $18.49 |
| 13 | Charlotte, NC | $37,918 | $18.23 |
| 14 | Biloxi, MS | $35,553 | $17.09 |
| 15 | Las Vegas, NV | $35,371 | $17.01 |
| 16 | Tempe, AZ | $34,518 | $16.60 |
| 17 | Oklahoma City, OK | $33,915 | $16.31 |
| 18 | Lafayette, LA | $29,873 | $14.36 |
| 19 | Brentwood, TN | $28,378 | $13.64 |
| 20 | Clearfield, UT | $25,389 | $12.21 |
Assistant chef salary details
An assistant chef's salary ranges from $22,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $63,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an assistant chef's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $63,000 | $5,250 | $30 |
| 75th Percentile | $49,000 | $4,083 | $24 |
| Average | $37,670 | $3,139 | $18 |
| 25th Percentile | $28,000 | $2,333 | $13 |
| 10th Percentile | $22,000 | $1,833 | $11 |
Highest paying assistant chef jobs
The highest paying types of assistant chefs 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 |
| Chef De Cuisine | $51,926 | $4,327 | $24.96 | 18,300 |
| Chef De Partie | $39,938 | $3,328 | $19.20 | 18,913 |
| Chef/Catering | $47,693 | $3,974 | $22.93 | 20,512 |
| Culinary Internship | $31,368 | $2,614 | $15.08 | 93,844 |
| Chef Manager | $53,470 | $4,456 | $25.71 | 22,346 |
Top companies hiring assistant chefs now:
Which companies pay assistant chefs the most?
Assistant chef salaries at Ncar - The National Center For Atmospheric Research and LinkedIn are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average assistant chef salary at companies like University Settlement and Mission are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ncar - The National Center For Atmospheric Research | $89,217 | $42.89 |
| 2 | $75,367 | $36.23 | |
| 3 | University Settlement | $45,298 | $21.78 |
| 4 | Mission | $44,220 | $21.26 |
| 5 | Goodwin Recruiting | $43,220 | $20.78 |
| 6 | Sanofi US | $40,613 | $19.53 |
| 7 | Mandarin Oriental | $39,620 | $19.05 |
| 8 | Transforming Age | $38,803 | $18.66 |
| 9 | The Magazi Inc | $38,633 | $18.57 |
| 10 | Monger Co | $38,019 | $18.28 |
| 11 | Rocco's Tacos & Tequila Bar | $37,970 | $18.25 |
| 12 | Geneva Holdings LLC | $37,662 | $18.11 |
| 13 | Oakmont Country Club | $37,344 | $17.95 |
| 14 | Mercy Home for Boys & Girls | $35,886 | $17.25 |
| 15 | Management & Training | $35,106 | $16.88 |
| 16 | Publix | $33,960 | $16.33 |
| 17 | JW Marriott Grand Rapids | $33,657 | $16.18 |
| 18 | LAGARDERE | $32,809 | $15.77 |
| 19 | Mary's Gone Crackers | $32,500 | $15.63 |
| 20 | Enlivant | $32,369 | $15.56 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Assistant chef salary trends
The average assistant chef salary has risen by $7,784 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average assistant chef earned $29,886 annually, but today, they earn $37,670 a year. That works out to a 24% change in pay for assistant chefs over the last decade.
Compare assistant chef salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average assistant chef salary over time
Compare assistant chef salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Assistant chef salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $37,700 | $18.11 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $36,400 | $17.48 | +6.0% |
| 2023 | $34,200 | $16.44 | +5.2% |
| 2022 | $32,400 | $15.59 | +6.0% |
| 2021 | $30,500 | $14.65 | +3.9% |
Recently added assistant chef salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Home for Boys and | Assistant Chef | Chicago, IL | 06/16/2025 | $45,914 |
| Mercy, Inc. | Assistant Chef | Chicago, IL | 06/16/2025 | $45,914 |
| Soho | Assistant Chef | Manchester, NH | 06/10/2025 | $52,175 |
| Williams College | Assistant Catering Chef | Williamstown, MA | 06/09/2025 | $56,349 |
| Community Partners In Action | Per Diem Assistant Chef: Regions-Staff Secure Residential Treatment Program for Male Youth | Hartford, CT | 05/25/2025 | $49,378 |
| Whitsons Culinary Group | Assistant Chef Manager-Camp Hochelaga | South Hero, VT | 05/20/2025 | $70,436 |
| Mercy Home for Boys and | Assistant Chef | Chicago, IL | 05/17/2025 | $45,914 |
| Williams College | Assistant Catering Chef | Williamstown, MA | 05/09/2025 | $56,349 |
| Compass Business Solutions | Sushi Assistant Chef | Washington, DC | 05/08/2025 | $60,189 |
| Compass Business Solutions, Inc. | Sushi Assistant Chef | Washington, DC | 05/08/2025 | $60,189 |
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