Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Sous chef salary
Average sous chef salary
$48,716
Understanding Sous Chef Salaries
The average sous chef in the United States earns approximately $48,716 per year, which equates to around $23 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on location, experience, and the establishment's prestige. For instance, sous chefs working in fine dining restaurants or major metropolitan areas may command higher wages compared to their counterparts in smaller towns.
Salary Breakdown by Experience
Experience level greatly influences sous chef salaries. Entry-level positions may start around $35,000, while seasoned professionals with several years in high-end kitchens can earn upwards of $60,000 annually. Additionally, specialized skills in areas such as pastry or a specific cuisine can lead to higher earning potential.
Top Paying States
States like California, New York, and Texas offer some of the highest salaries for sous chefs. The metropolitan areas within these states provide a vibrant culinary scene, which often leads to competitive pay and abundant job opportunities.
For those considering a career as a sous chef, understanding these salary dynamics is crucial for setting realistic expectations and planning for career growth.
Let Zippi find your next sous chef job
Let Zippi find your next sous chef job
Where can a Sous Chef earn more?
Sous chef salaries by experience level
Sous chef salary estimates from across the web
Average sous chef salary by state
The highest-paying states for sous chefs are Hawaii, New Jersey, and California. The lowest average sous chef salary states are Iowa, Mississippi, and Wisconsin.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for sous chefs
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $54,340 | $26.13 |
| 2 | Hawaii | $70,943 | $34.11 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $55,632 | $26.75 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $55,116 | $26.50 |
| 5 | Alaska | $50,364 | $24.21 |
| 6 | California | $58,125 | $27.94 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $67,942 | $32.66 |
| 8 | Texas | $47,953 | $23.05 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $48,678 | $23.40 |
| 10 | Washington | $53,403 | $25.67 |
| 11 | New York | $52,890 | $25.43 |
| 12 | Wyoming | $45,496 | $21.87 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $53,924 | $25.93 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $48,695 | $23.41 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $46,813 | $22.51 |
| 16 | Arizona | $45,879 | $22.06 |
| 17 | Georgia | $45,771 | $22.01 |
| 18 | Illinois | $51,258 | $24.64 |
| 19 | Virginia | $48,014 | $23.08 |
| 20 | North Carolina | $45,147 | $21.71 |
| 21 | Florida | $45,541 | $21.89 |
| 22 | Michigan | $43,845 | $21.08 |
| 23 | Oklahoma | $44,939 | $21.61 |
| 24 | Maryland | $50,508 | $24.28 |
| 25 | Oregon | $47,260 | $22.72 |
| 26 | Colorado | $44,173 | $21.24 |
| 27 | Indiana | $42,080 | $20.23 |
| 28 | Maine | $43,764 | $21.04 |
| 29 | Alabama | $43,319 | $20.83 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $40,242 | $19.35 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $42,127 | $20.25 |
| 32 | Montana | $40,252 | $19.35 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $40,090 | $19.27 |
| 34 | Missouri | $41,980 | $20.18 |
| 35 | Connecticut | $42,688 | $20.52 |
| 36 | Ohio | $40,210 | $19.33 |
| 37 | Delaware | $43,560 | $20.94 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $41,234 | $19.82 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $41,502 | $19.95 |
| 40 | Utah | $37,204 | $17.89 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $39,869 | $19.17 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $37,889 | $18.22 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $38,780 | $18.64 |
| 44 | Idaho | $38,212 | $18.37 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $38,677 | $18.59 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $38,856 | $18.68 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $38,245 | $18.39 |
| 48 | Wisconsin | $37,869 | $18.21 |
| 49 | Iowa | $37,929 | $18.24 |
| 50 | Vermont | $36,850 | $17.72 |
| 51 | Kansas | $35,573 | $17.10 |
Highest paying cities for sous chefs
The highest-paying cities for sous chefs are Atlantic City, NJ, San Francisco, CA, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlantic City, NJ | $67,560 | $32.48 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $59,531 | $28.62 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $55,672 | $26.77 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $55,053 | $26.47 |
| 5 | Las Vegas, NV | $54,323 | $26.12 |
| 6 | Seattle, WA | $53,706 | $25.82 |
| 7 | New York, NY | $53,085 | $25.52 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $51,353 | $24.69 |
| 9 | Philadelphia, PA | $49,301 | $23.70 |
| 10 | McLean, VA | $48,986 | $23.55 |
| 11 | Austin, TX | $48,365 | $23.25 |
| 12 | Portland, OR | $46,945 | $22.57 |
| 13 | Miami, FL | $46,356 | $22.29 |
| 14 | Columbus, GA | $46,046 | $22.14 |
| 15 | Phoenix, AZ | $45,921 | $22.08 |
| 16 | Raleigh, NC | $45,334 | $21.80 |
| 17 | Portland, ME | $44,432 | $21.36 |
| 18 | Colorado Springs, CO | $44,414 | $21.35 |
| 19 | Detroit, MI | $44,011 | $21.16 |
| 20 | Minneapolis, MN | $42,170 | $20.27 |
Sous Chefs are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Sous chef salary details
A sous chef's salary ranges from $33,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $70,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a sous chef's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $70,000 | $5,833 | $34 |
| 75th Percentile | $59,000 | $4,917 | $28 |
| Average | $48,716 | $4,060 | $23 |
| 25th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
| 10th Percentile | $33,000 | $2,750 | $16 |
Highest paying sous chef jobs
The highest paying types of sous chefs are executive chef, chef de cuisine, and private chef.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook | $31,803 | $2,650 | $15.29 | 184,818 |
| Food Service Coordinator | $32,085 | $2,674 | $15.43 | 79,537 |
| Line Cook | $32,895 | $2,741 | $15.81 | 168,993 |
| 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 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for sous chefs, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Patti Stobaugh
Which companies pay sous chefs the most?
Sous chef salaries at RH and Apple are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average sous chef salary at companies like Baptist Health and Club are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RH | $80,048 | $38.48 |
| 2 | Apple | $70,686 | $33.98 |
| 3 | Baptist Health | $66,698 | $32.07 |
| 4 | Club | $62,513 | $30.05 |
| 5 | Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego | $61,273 | $29.46 |
| 6 | Bertucci's | $61,168 | $29.41 |
| 7 | SL Green Realty | $60,564 | $29.12 |
| 8 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $60,355 | $29.02 |
| 9 | Bay Head Yacht Club | $59,596 | $28.65 |
| 10 | Sprenger Health Care System | $59,551 | $28.63 |
| 11 | Aspen Snowmass | $59,518 | $28.61 |
| 12 | Kohler Co. | $59,437 | $28.58 |
| 13 | The Halal Guys | $59,253 | $28.49 |
| 14 | BKD LLP | $58,553 | $28.15 |
| 15 | bartaco | $58,489 | $28.12 |
| 16 | Norman Regional Health System | $58,478 | $28.11 |
| 17 | J.F. Shea Co | $58,473 | $28.11 |
| 18 | Goodwin Recruiting | $58,420 | $28.09 |
| 19 | Resorts World Catskills | $58,305 | $28.03 |
| 20 | Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise | $58,214 | $27.99 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Sous Chef salary by industry
The average sous chef salary varies across industries:
- The average sous chef salary in the government industry is $52,076, the highest of any industry.
- The average sous chef salary in the finance industry is $48,600.
- Sous chefs in the retail industry earn an average salary of $40,995, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for sous chefs
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Government | $52,076 | $25.04 |
| 2 | Hospitality | $48,600 | $23.37 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $44,244 | $21.27 |
| 4 | Retail | $40,995 | $19.71 |
High paying sous chef jobs
Sous chef salary trends
The average sous chef salary has risen by $10,067 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average sous chef earned $38,649 annually, but today, they earn $48,716 a year. That works out to a 24% change in pay for sous chefs over the last decade.
Compare sous chef salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average sous chef salary over time
Compare sous chef salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Sous chef salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $48,700 | $23.42 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $47,000 | $22.61 | +6.0% |
| 2023 | $44,200 | $21.26 | +5.2% |
| 2022 | $41,900 | $20.16 | +6.0% |
| 2021 | $39,400 | $18.95 | +3.9% |
Recently added sous chef salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonesta Hotels | Banquet Sous Chef | Lihue, HI | 06/30/2025 | $80,000 |
| Northwest Arkansas Community College | Sous Chef | Bono, AR | 06/30/2025 | $29,218 |
| Walt Disney World Resort | Assistant Sous Chef (Lead Line Cook)-Walt Disney World | Lake Buena Vista, FL | 06/30/2025 | $55,514 |
| Dig | Sous Chef | Boston, MA | 06/29/2025 | $37,566 |
| Dig | Sous Chef | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $39,653 |
| Historic Boone Tavern Hotel & Restaurant of Berea College | Sous Chef | Berea, KY | 06/29/2025 | $50,000 |
| Oakview Group | Concessions Sous Chef | | Memorial Booth Stadium | Lawrence, KS | 06/29/2025 | $41,740 |
| The South Branch Inn | Sous Chef-South Branch Smokehouse | Moorefield, WV | 06/29/2025 | $45,000 |
| Dig Chefs-In-Training | Sous Chef, ONE Loudoun | Ashburn, VA | 06/29/2025 | $37,566 |
| Dig Chefs-In-Training | Sous Chef, Kendall Square | Boston, MA | 06/29/2025 | $37,566 |
Sous chef salary FAQs
Search for sous chef jobs