Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Lead cook salary
Average lead cook salary
$35,964
Understanding Lead Cook Salaries
A Lead Cook plays a pivotal role in the kitchen, responsible for supervising staff and ensuring the quality of meals. As of October 2025, the average salary stands at $35,964 per year, equivalent to about $17 per hour. This figure reflects various factors including geographic location, years of experience, and the type of establishment.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level positions typically start lower, while those with several years of experience can command significantly higher wages. For example, Lead Cooks with over five years of experience may earn up to $45,000 annually.
Regional Salary Variations
Salaries also vary by state. States like California and New York often offer higher wages due to the cost of living and demand for skilled culinary professionals. Conversely, rural areas may present lower salary averages.
Job Opportunities
For those interested in pursuing a career as a Lead Cook, numerous job listings are available. It's essential to consider not only the salary but also the work environment and opportunities for advancement in your culinary career.
Let Zippi find your next lead cook job
Let Zippi find your next lead cook job
Where can a Lead Cook earn more?
Lead cook salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level lead cook | $27,000 | $12.96 |
| Mid-level lead cook | $32,600 | $15.66 |
| Senior-level lead cook | $38,700 | $18.60 |
Lead cook salary estimates from across the web
Average lead cook salary by state
The average lead cook salary in Washington, Massachusetts, and California are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average lead cook salary states are South Carolina, Missouri, and Alabama.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for lead cooks
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | $38,601 | $18.56 |
| 2 | Alaska | $41,007 | $19.71 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $39,732 | $19.10 |
| 4 | Nevada | $37,047 | $17.81 |
| 5 | Washington | $47,188 | $22.69 |
| 6 | Arizona | $38,582 | $18.55 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $45,815 | $22.03 |
| 8 | Utah | $36,574 | $17.58 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $36,049 | $17.33 |
| 10 | Colorado | $39,734 | $19.10 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $42,298 | $20.34 |
| 12 | Oregon | $41,650 | $20.02 |
| 13 | Idaho | $36,964 | $17.77 |
| 14 | California | $43,264 | $20.80 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $37,821 | $18.18 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $37,145 | $17.86 |
| 17 | Vermont | $39,909 | $19.19 |
| 18 | Hawaii | $40,692 | $19.56 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $40,252 | $19.35 |
| 20 | Maine | $38,213 | $18.37 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $37,271 | $17.92 |
| 22 | Florida | $35,077 | $16.86 |
| 23 | South Dakota | $34,339 | $16.51 |
| 24 | Nebraska | $34,487 | $16.58 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $34,164 | $16.43 |
| 26 | Montana | $34,150 | $16.42 |
| 27 | Michigan | $32,777 | $15.76 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $41,072 | $19.75 |
| 29 | New York | $38,294 | $18.41 |
| 30 | Texas | $33,832 | $16.27 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $31,499 | $15.14 |
| 32 | Ohio | $31,437 | $15.11 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $33,354 | $16.04 |
| 34 | Virginia | $35,810 | $17.22 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $33,272 | $16.00 |
| 36 | Illinois | $34,396 | $16.54 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $32,828 | $15.78 |
| 38 | Iowa | $32,636 | $15.69 |
| 39 | Maryland | $35,714 | $17.17 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $31,477 | $15.13 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $30,984 | $14.90 |
| 42 | Delaware | $34,767 | $16.71 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $30,686 | $14.75 |
| 44 | Indiana | $31,121 | $14.96 |
| 45 | Georgia | $32,203 | $15.48 |
| 46 | Missouri | $30,185 | $14.51 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $30,595 | $14.71 |
| 48 | Kansas | $27,171 | $13.06 |
| 49 | Alabama | $29,448 | $14.16 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $27,413 | $13.18 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $27,071 | $13.01 |
Highest paying cities for lead cooks
The highest-paying cities for lead cooks are Seattle, WA, Burlington, MA, and Los Angeles, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $47,439 | $22.81 |
| 2 | Burlington, MA | $45,925 | $22.08 |
| 3 | Los Angeles, CA | $42,971 | $20.66 |
| 4 | Portland, OR | $41,587 | $19.99 |
| 5 | Burlington, VT | $40,019 | $19.24 |
| 6 | Loveland, CO | $39,688 | $19.08 |
| 7 | Phoenix, AZ | $38,684 | $18.60 |
| 8 | Portland, ME | $38,306 | $18.42 |
| 9 | New York, NY | $38,257 | $18.39 |
| 10 | Minneapolis, MN | $37,228 | $17.90 |
| 11 | Alexandria, VA | $36,503 | $17.55 |
| 12 | Salt Lake City, UT | $36,463 | $17.53 |
| 13 | Philadelphia, PA | $36,144 | $17.38 |
| 14 | Baltimore, MD | $35,846 | $17.23 |
| 15 | Tampa, FL | $35,198 | $16.92 |
| 16 | Chicago, IL | $34,475 | $16.57 |
| 17 | San Antonio, TX | $34,178 | $16.43 |
| 18 | Sioux Falls, SD | $34,149 | $16.42 |
| 19 | Wauwatosa, WI | $33,283 | $16.00 |
| 20 | Raleigh, NC | $32,872 | $15.80 |
Lead cook salary details
A lead cook's salary ranges from $27,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $46,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a lead cook's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $46,000 | $3,833 | $22 |
| 75th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
| Average | $35,964 | $2,997 | $17 |
| 25th Percentile | $31,000 | $2,583 | $15 |
| 10th Percentile | $27,000 | $2,250 | $13 |
Highest paying lead cook jobs
The highest paying types of lead cooks are head cook, cook supervisor, and kitchen lead.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook Supervisor | $41,118 | $3,426 | $19.77 | 183,387 |
| Kitchen Lead | $35,678 | $2,973 | $17.15 | 56,300 |
| Line Cook, Prep Cook | $32,982 | $2,748 | $15.86 | 164,756 |
| Line Cook/Dishwasher | $34,435 | $2,870 | $16.56 | 133,370 |
| Grill Cook | $31,895 | $2,658 | $15.33 | 184,603 |
| Kitchen Cook | $31,452 | $2,621 | $15.12 | 250,354 |
Top companies hiring lead cooks now:
Which companies pay lead cooks the most?
Lead cook salaries at Freeport-McMoRan and University of California, Berkeley are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average lead cook salary at companies like Bon Appétit Management and Cottage Health are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Freeport-McMoRan | $46,595 | $22.40 |
| 2 | University of California-Berkeley | $46,512 | $22.36 |
| 3 | Bon Appétit Management | $44,935 | $21.60 |
| 4 | Cottage Health | $43,169 | $20.75 |
| 5 | Taco John's | $43,146 | $20.74 |
| 6 | Lawrence General Hospital | $43,125 | $20.73 |
| 7 | American Senior Benefits | $42,799 | $20.58 |
| 8 | Fantasy Springs Resort Casino | $42,382 | $20.38 |
| 9 | The Porter Co. | $42,268 | $20.32 |
| 10 | Miller's Health Systems | $42,238 | $20.31 |
| 11 | Baptist Health Care | $42,126 | $20.25 |
| 12 | RML Specialty Hospital | $42,106 | $20.24 |
| 13 | State Bar of Michigan | $41,955 | $20.17 |
| 14 | Artis Senior Living | $41,689 | $20.04 |
| 15 | Kettering Health Network | $41,459 | $19.93 |
| 16 | Tri-Star Construction, Inc. | $41,354 | $19.88 |
| 17 | Astor Services | $41,306 | $19.86 |
| 18 | dnata | $41,283 | $19.85 |
| 19 | BRP Health Mgmt. | $41,268 | $19.84 |
| 20 | Land O'Lakes | $41,146 | $19.78 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Lead cook salary trends
The average lead cook salary has risen by $8,392 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average lead cook earned $27,572 annually, but today, they earn $35,964 a year. That works out to a 19% change in pay for lead cooks over the last decade.
Compare lead cook salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average lead cook salary over time
Compare lead cook salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Lead cook salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $36,000 | $17.29 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $34,700 | $16.68 | +4.5% |
| 2023 | $33,100 | $15.93 | +5.1% |
| 2022 | $31,400 | $15.12 | +4.1% |
| 2021 | $30,100 | $14.49 | +4.3% |
Recently added lead cook salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Colorado | Lead Cook | Colorado Springs, CO | 06/30/2025 | $33,851 |
| Cherrelyn Healthcare Center | Cook, PM Lead | Littleton, CO | 06/30/2025 | $43,827 |
| Hormel Foods | Jennie-O Turkey Store-2Nd Shift Fire Braised Cook | Barron, WI | 06/29/2025 | $44,140 |
| Brock & Company Inc. | Lead Cook-Summer Camp | Rising Sun, MD | 06/29/2025 | $43,827 |
| State of Colorado | Dining Services IV-Lead Cook-Fort Logan Mental Health Hospital | Boone, CO | 06/29/2025 | $46,290 |
| Get It-Hospitality | Lead Cook (JR 4812)-Remote | Los Angeles, CA | 06/29/2025 | $51,716 |
| Get It-Hospitality | Cook II-Lead Cook-Remote | WFH | Talkeetna, AK | 06/29/2025 | $41,740 |
| Sharp Healthplan | Cook/Homemaker-Sharp Hospice-Day Shift | San Diego, CA | 06/29/2025 | $61,629 |
| Raising Cane's | Cook-Evening & Late Night Shift | Phoenix, AZ | 06/28/2025 | $32,349 |
| Raising Cane's | Cook-Evening & Late Night Shift | Baton Rouge, LA | 06/28/2025 | $22,957 |
Lead cook salary FAQs
Search for lead cook jobs