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Chefs and Head Cooks in California
Is California a good place for you to work as a Chef or Head Cook?
You’re in luck! Jobs for Chefs and Head Cooks in California are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.
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Projected employment for Chefs and Head Cooks in California is growing faster than average.
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Chefs and Head Cooks in California earn lower salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.
What Major Will Prepare You For a Chef or Head Cook Career?
- Personal & Culinary Services
- Culinary Arts
- General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts
- Baking & Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef
- Culinary Arts/Chef Training
- Restaurant, Culinary, & Catering Management/Manager
- Culinary Science/Culinology
How Many Chefs and Head Cooks Work in California?
19,420 people worked as Chefs and Head Cooks in 2018 in this state.
There were 18,350 Chefs and Head Cooks employed in this state in 2017.
That’s growth of 1,070 jobs between 2017 and 2018.
The typical state has 1,325 Chefs and Head Cooks working in it, which means California has more Chefs and Head Cooks than average.
Job Projections for California
Jobs for Chefs and Head Cooks in this state are growing at a rate of 14.3% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 9.6%.
California Annual Job Openings
The BLS estimates there will be 2,970 annual job openings, and 23,200 total jobs in 2026 for Chefs and Head Cooks in this state.
Nationwide, the prediction is 20,300 annual jobs and 160,600 total jobs in 2026.
What do Chefs and Head Cooks Make in California?
In 2018 wages for Chefs and Head Cooks ranged from $24,270 to $82,600 with $46,360 being the median annual salary.
Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $11.67 to $39.71. The median hourly rate was $22.29.
In 2017 the median pay for this field was $23.29 an hour.
The hourly rate declined by $1.00.
The median salary in California is higher than the nationwide median salary.
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Top California Metros for Chefs and Head Cooks
The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Chefs and Head Cooks.
| Metro | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 8,230 | $43,220 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | 3,930 | $46,790 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 1,300 | $46,090 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | 1,290 | $50,300 |
| Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA | 1,110 | $53,940 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 940 | $53,100 |
| Fresno, CA | 270 | $36,500 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 270 | $48,310 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | 250 | $55,810 |
| Napa, CA | 250 | $59,560 |
| Salinas, CA | 200 | $68,700 |
| Bakersfield, CA | 160 | $40,640 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 150 | $69,190 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 150 | $68,250 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 100 | $70,350 |
| Modesto, CA | 70 | $52,140 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA | 50 | $54,710 |
Top States for Chefs and Head Cooks Employment
The table below shows the states where most Chefs and Head Cooks work.
| State | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| California | 19,420 | $46,360 |
| New York | 15,500 | $52,010 |
| Florida | 11,150 | $48,710 |
| Texas | 6,020 | $50,580 |
| Massachusetts | 4,830 | $56,070 |
| Illinois | 4,770 | $49,070 |
| Ohio | 4,370 | $40,270 |
| South Carolina | 3,630 | $38,460 |
| Arizona | 3,580 | $38,430 |
| Nevada | 3,450 | $52,930 |
| Pennsylvania | 3,100 | $57,500 |
| Virginia | 2,790 | $53,000 |
| Connecticut | 2,640 | $53,730 |
| New Jersey | 2,640 | $66,790 |
| North Carolina | 2,460 | $47,070 |
| Maryland | 2,290 | $49,390 |
| Wisconsin | 2,240 | $40,480 |
| Michigan | 2,160 | $48,320 |
| Georgia | 2,060 | $51,330 |
| Tennessee | 1,960 | $45,890 |
Below are the states where Chefs and Head Cooks get paid the most:
| State | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $66,790 |
| Hawaii | $63,810 |
| District of Columbia | $63,150 |
| West Virginia | $58,570 |
| Pennsylvania | $57,500 |
| Delaware | $57,340 |
| Washington | $56,450 |
| Wyoming | $56,150 |
| Massachusetts | $56,070 |
| Connecticut | $53,730 |
Related Careers in California
Discover similar careers:
| Occupation | California Employment Total |
|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 93,570 |
References
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- Image Credit: By U.S. Army Europe Images under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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