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Chef/kitchen manager salary
Average chef/kitchen manager salary
$49,415
Understanding Chef/Kitchen Manager Salaries
As of October 2025, the average annual salary for a Chef/Kitchen Manager is approximately $49,415. This figure represents a blend of culinary expertise and managerial responsibilities, critical in various settings from restaurants to catering companies. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as experience level, location, and the type of establishment.
Salary by Experience
Entry-level positions may start around $35,000, while seasoned professionals can earn upwards of $60,000 or more, particularly in high-end restaurants or metropolitan areas.
State and City Variations
Regions like California and New York typically offer higher salaries, reflecting the cost of living and demand for culinary talent. Cities such as San Francisco and New York City are among the highest paying for this position. Understanding the geographical salary landscape helps aspiring chefs find promising opportunities.
Job Opportunities
Numerous positions exist for Chef/Kitchen Managers, from fine dining establishments to corporate dining services. This diversity in job settings offers varied experiences and salary potentials, making it essential for candidates to research their desired path.
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Where can a Chef/Kitchen Manager earn more?
Chef/kitchen manager salaries by experience level
Average chef/kitchen manager salary by state
The average chef/kitchen manager salary in New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average chef/kitchen manager salary states are Mississippi, New Mexico, and South Carolina.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for chef/kitchen managers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $72,926 | $35.06 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $63,391 | $30.48 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $62,344 | $29.97 |
| 4 | Washington | $59,275 | $28.50 |
| 5 | Virginia | $58,607 | $28.18 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $53,095 | $25.53 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $63,379 | $30.47 |
| 8 | Delaware | $58,577 | $28.16 |
| 9 | Michigan | $52,126 | $25.06 |
| 10 | California | $60,371 | $29.02 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $57,541 | $27.66 |
| 12 | Alaska | $52,050 | $25.02 |
| 13 | Nevada | $50,974 | $24.51 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $53,992 | $25.96 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $55,371 | $26.62 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $52,014 | $25.01 |
| 17 | Maryland | $53,508 | $25.73 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $53,499 | $25.72 |
| 19 | Montana | $48,797 | $23.46 |
| 20 | Maine | $52,097 | $25.05 |
| 21 | Colorado | $50,323 | $24.19 |
| 22 | Vermont | $54,143 | $26.03 |
| 23 | Ohio | $46,457 | $22.34 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $49,693 | $23.89 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $46,422 | $22.32 |
| 26 | Texas | $43,558 | $20.94 |
| 27 | Oregon | $50,939 | $24.49 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $52,420 | $25.20 |
| 29 | Arizona | $43,476 | $20.90 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $46,126 | $22.18 |
| 31 | Indiana | $44,489 | $21.39 |
| 32 | Utah | $43,966 | $21.14 |
| 33 | Illinois | $45,006 | $21.64 |
| 34 | Florida | $43,456 | $20.89 |
| 35 | Idaho | $46,944 | $22.57 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $46,704 | $22.45 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $43,268 | $20.80 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $44,313 | $21.30 |
| 39 | Iowa | $44,907 | $21.59 |
| 40 | Georgia | $40,880 | $19.65 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $42,037 | $20.21 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $42,241 | $20.31 |
| 43 | Kansas | $42,460 | $20.41 |
| 44 | Missouri | $41,345 | $19.88 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $39,092 | $18.79 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $40,029 | $19.24 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $41,712 | $20.05 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $38,726 | $18.62 |
| 49 | New Mexico | $39,761 | $19.12 |
| 50 | Alabama | $38,376 | $18.45 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $38,626 | $18.57 |
Highest paying cities for chef/kitchen managers
The highest-paying cities for chef/kitchen managers are New York, NY, Pleasant Hill, CA, and Alexandria, VA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $73,116 | $35.15 |
| 2 | Pleasant Hill, CA | $64,925 | $31.21 |
| 3 | Alexandria, VA | $61,053 | $29.35 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $59,607 | $28.66 |
| 5 | Wilmington, DE | $58,949 | $28.34 |
| 6 | Washington, DC | $55,381 | $26.63 |
| 7 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $52,410 | $25.20 |
| 8 | Portland, OR | $50,823 | $24.43 |
| 9 | Denver, CO | $50,315 | $24.19 |
| 10 | Greensboro, NC | $46,882 | $22.54 |
| 11 | Omaha, NE | $46,176 | $22.20 |
| 12 | South Bend, IN | $45,638 | $21.94 |
| 13 | Urbandale, IA | $44,684 | $21.48 |
| 14 | Austin, TX | $43,605 | $20.96 |
| 15 | Miami, FL | $43,591 | $20.96 |
| 16 | Chattanooga, TN | $42,967 | $20.66 |
| 17 | Brookfield, WI | $41,990 | $20.19 |
| 18 | Alpharetta, GA | $41,274 | $19.84 |
| 19 | Madison, MS | $39,967 | $19.21 |
| 20 | Charleston, SC | $38,625 | $18.57 |
Chef/kitchen manager salary details
A chef/kitchen manager's salary ranges from $34,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $70,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a chef/kitchen manager's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $70,000 | $5,833 | $34 |
| 75th Percentile | $59,000 | $4,917 | $28 |
| Average | $49,415 | $4,118 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
| 10th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
Highest paying chef/kitchen manager jobs
The highest paying types of chef/kitchen managers are executive chef, manager, and chef manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lead Line Cook | $34,293 | $2,858 | $16.49 | 173,672 |
| Lead Cook | $35,964 | $2,997 | $17.29 | 160,223 |
| Banquet Captain | $34,428 | $2,869 | $16.55 | 60,883 |
| Sous Chef | $48,716 | $4,060 | $23.42 | 22,393 |
| Caterer | $28,891 | $2,408 | $13.89 | 1,648 |
| Shift Leader | $33,841 | $2,820 | $16.27 | 229,485 |
Top companies hiring chef/kitchen managers now:
Which companies pay chef/kitchen managers the most?
Chef/kitchen manager salaries at Castilleja School and P.F. Chang's China Bistro are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average chef/kitchen manager salary at companies like Goodwin Recruiting and HEI Hotels & Resorts are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Castilleja School | $63,046 | $30.31 |
| 2 | P.F. Chang's China Bistro | $56,492 | $27.16 |
| 3 | Goodwin Recruiting | $55,063 | $26.47 |
| 4 | HEI Hotels & Resorts | $53,367 | $25.66 |
| 5 | Morton's The Steakhouse | $52,925 | $25.44 |
| 6 | Beach Point Club | $52,841 | $25.40 |
| 7 | ECI Communications | $52,420 | $25.20 |
| 8 | Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria | $50,664 | $24.36 |
| 9 | Newcomb and | $50,409 | $24.24 |
| 10 | The HC Companies | $50,382 | $24.22 |
| 11 | Kingfish Restaurant | $49,839 | $23.96 |
| 12 | Iron Oak Holdings LLC | $49,641 | $23.87 |
| 13 | Master ConcessionAir / World Wide Concessions | $49,641 | $23.87 |
| 14 | Maple Leaf Foods | $49,641 | $23.87 |
| 15 | Stingray Energy | $49,402 | $23.75 |
| 16 | Midas Hospitality | $49,395 | $23.75 |
| 17 | JEA Senior Living | $48,927 | $23.52 |
| 18 | Doherty Enterprises | $48,800 | $23.46 |
| 19 | Farm Burger | $48,472 | $23.30 |
| 20 | Matador Content | $48,351 | $23.25 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Chef/kitchen manager salary trends
The average chef/kitchen manager salary has risen by $7,175 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average chef/kitchen manager earned $42,240 annually, but today, they earn $49,415 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for chef/kitchen managers over the last decade.
Compare chef/kitchen manager salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average chef/kitchen manager salary over time
Compare chef/kitchen manager salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Chef/kitchen manager salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $49,400 | $23.76 | +3.4% |
| 2025 | $47,700 | $22.95 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | $46,400 | $22.30 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $45,700 | $21.96 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | $45,000 | $21.63 | +3.6% |
Recently added chef/kitchen manager salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Denver | Kitchen Manager/Sous Chef, Highlands Ranch Golf Course | Highlands Ranch, CO | 06/28/2025 | $57,000 |
| Jobs@Du | Kitchen Manager/Sous Chef, Highlands Ranch Golf Course | Highlands Ranch, CO | 06/28/2025 | $57,000 |
| Landry's | Sous Chef/Kitchen Manager | Burlingame, CA | 06/26/2025 | $75,000 |
| Landry's | Sous Chef/Kitchen Manager | Glastonbury, CT | 06/26/2025 | $65,000 |
| WB Pub | Executive Chef/Kitchen Manager | West Bloomfield, MI | 06/22/2025 | $60,000 |
| Asmglobal | Sous Chef/Kitchen Manager | Stockton, CA | 06/20/2025 | $68,640 |
| Vail Resorts | Kitchen Manager-Sous Chef | Keystone, FL | 06/19/2025 | $56,485 |
| P.F. Chang's China Bistro | Senior Sous Chef Kitchen Manager-New Location | Laredo, TX | 06/12/2025 | $55,799 |
| Vail Resorts | Kitchen Manager-Sous Chef | Keystone, CO | 06/11/2025 | $56,485 |
| ASM Global | Sous Chef/Kitchen Manager | Stockton, CA | 06/11/2025 | $68,640 |
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