Chefs and Head Cooks in South Carolina

Considering a career as a Chef or Head Cook in South Carolina?

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

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

• Chefs and Head Cooks in South Carolina earn lower salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

How Many Chefs and Head Cooks Work in South Carolina?

3,630 people worked as Chefs and Head Cooks in 2018 in this state.

There were 4,130 Chefs and Head Cooks employed in this state in 2017.

That’s a decline of 500 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

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

Job Projections for South Carolina

Jobs for Chefs and Head Cooks in this state are growing at a rate of 20.9% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 9.6%.

South Carolina Annual Job Openings

The BLS is projecting 600 annual Chefs and Head Cooks job openings in South Carolina, and 4,620 total jobs in the year 2026.

Nationwide, the prediction is 20,300 annual jobs and 160,600 total jobs in 2026.

What do Chefs and Head Cooks Make in South Carolina?

In 2018 wages for Chefs and Head Cooks ranged from $19,500 to $67,570 with $38,460 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $9.38 to $32.49. The median hourly rate was $18.49.

In 2017 the median pay for this field was $16.3 an hour.

The hourly rate grew by $2.19.

The median salary in South Carolina is higher than the nationwide median salary.

Top South Carolina 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
Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC	1,030	$40,280
Charleston-North Charleston, SC	890	$37,620
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	690	$47,150
Columbia, SC	440	$25,950
Florence, SC	400	$33,630
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC	380	$32,710
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC	190	$46,000
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC	100	$49,350
Spartanburg, SC	80	$41,550

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 SC

Discover similar careers:

Occupation	SC Employment Total

What Major Will Prepare You For a Chef or Head Cook Career?

• Personal & Culinary Services
• Culinary Arts
• Culinary Arts/Chef Training
• Baking & Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef
• General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts

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.