Chefs and Head Cooks in Virginia

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

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

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

• Chefs and Head Cooks in Virginia earn higher salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

How Many Chefs and Head Cooks Work in Virginia?

2,790 people worked as Chefs and Head Cooks in 2018 in this state.

There were 3,000 Chefs and Head Cooks employed in this state in 2017.

That’s a decline of 210 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

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

Job Projections for Virginia

Jobs for Chefs and Head Cooks in this state are growing at a rate of 13.6% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 9.6%.

Virginia Annual Job Openings

The BLS estimates there will be 480 annual job openings, and 3,770 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 Virginia?

In 2018 wages for Chefs and Head Cooks ranged from $31,790 to $79,370 with $53,000 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $15.29 to $38.16. The median hourly rate was $25.48.

Workers in this field were paid a median of $25.52 an hour in 2017.

The hourly rate declined by $0.04.

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

Top Virginia 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
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	3,030	$57,850
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC	610	$53,860
Richmond, VA	360	$59,090
Charlottesville, VA	190	$59,160
Roanoke, VA	60	$36,640
Lynchburg, VA	60	$49,260
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA	30	$43,230

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 VA

You may also be interested in the following careers:

Occupation	VA Employment Total

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

• Personal & Culinary Services
• Culinary Arts
• General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts
• Culinary Arts/Chef Training
• Baking & Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef
• Restaurant, Culinary, & Catering Management/Manager

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.