Chefs and Head Cooks in Tennessee

Want to work in Tennessee as a Chef or Head Cook? Read this first!

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

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

• Chefs and Head Cooks in Tennessee 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 Tennessee?

In 2018, there were 1,960 Chefs and Head Cooks working in the state.

There were 2,600 Chefs and Head Cooks employed in this state in 2017.

That’s a decline of 640 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

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

Job Projections for Tennessee

Jobs for Chefs and Head Cooks in this state are growing at a rate of 10.3% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 9.6%.

Tennessee Annual Job Openings

The BLS estimates 530 annual job openings, and a total of 4,160 jobs for Tennessee Chefs and Head Cooks in 2026.

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

What do Chefs and Head Cooks Make in Tennessee?

In 2018 wages for Chefs and Head Cooks ranged from $25,930 to $71,360 with $45,890 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $12.47 to $34.31. The median hourly rate was $22.06.

Workers in this field were paid a median of $19.19 an hour in 2017.

The hourly rate grew by $2.87.

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

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Top Tennessee 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
Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN	530	$55,730
Memphis, TN-MS-AR	470	$29,390
Knoxville, TN	340	$49,320
Chattanooga, TN-GA	50	$51,100

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 Tennessee

Discover similar careers:

Occupation	Tennessee Employment Total
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers	20,270

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.