Chefs and Head Cooks in Pennsylvania

Considering a career as a Chef or Head Cook in Pennsylvania?

You’re in luck! Jobs for Chefs and Head Cooks in Pennsylvania are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.

• Projected employment for Chefs and Head Cooks in Pennsylvania is growing faster than average.

• Chefs and Head Cooks in Pennsylvania earn higher 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 Pennsylvania?

In 2018, there were 3,100 Chefs and Head Cooks working in the state.

There were 3,440 Chefs and Head Cooks employed in this state in 2017.

That’s a decline of 340 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

The typical state has 1,325 Chefs and Head Cooks working in it, which means Pennsylvania has more Chefs and Head Cooks than average.

Job Projections for Pennsylvania

Jobs for Chefs and Head Cooks in this state are growing at a rate of 8.9% which is slower than the nationwide estimated projection of 9.6%.

Pennsylvania Annual Job Openings

The BLS estimates there will be 530 annual job openings, and 4,170 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 Pennsylvania?

In 2018 wages for Chefs and Head Cooks ranged from $33,660 to $81,370 with $57,500 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $16.18 to $39.12. The median hourly rate was $27.64.

Workers in this field were paid a median of $25.8 an hour in 2017.

The hourly rate grew by $1.84.

The median salary in Pennsylvania is higher than the nationwide median salary.

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Top Pennsylvania 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
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	14,310	$55,480
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	2,110	$61,030
Pittsburgh, PA	660	$45,480
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ	170	$56,530
Lancaster, PA	150	$54,580
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA	140	$32,460
Scranton–Wilkes-Barre–Hazleton, PA	120	$57,720
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA	100	$49,460
Erie, PA	70	$38,710
Williamsport, PA	50	$46,060
Reading, PA	50	$57,110
York-Hanover, PA	50	$58,180
East Stroudsburg, PA	40	$46,900
State College, PA	30	$58,370

Top States for Chefs and Head Cooks Employment

View the list below to see 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 Pennsylvania

You may also be interested in the following careers:

Occupation	Pennsylvania Employment Total
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers	37,440

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.