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Chefs and Head Cooks in Washington

Want to work as a Chefs and Head Cooks in Washington? Here’s what you need to know. Direct and may participate in the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups, fish, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods. May plan and price menu items, order supplies, and keep records and accounts.

What do Chefs and Head Cooks Make in Washington?

For chefs and head cooks working in Washington, wages run about $69,800 per year (or roughly $33.56/hour).Earnings range from $49,920 at the 10th percentile to $97,970 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$49,920	$24.00
25th percentile	$55,710	$26.79
Median (50th)	$69,800	$33.56
75th percentile	$78,040	$37.52
90th percentile	$97,970	$47.10

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in Washington nationwide is 0.92.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, chefs and head cooks earn a median of $35,292 per year ($16.97/hour), exceeding the Washington median.

Employment Outlook

National employment for 1,181,220 chefs and head cooks in the U.S.. In Washington alone, about 3,840 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 1,860 chefs and head cooks.

Top Washington Metros for Chefs and Head Cooks

The metro areas below employ the most chefs and head cooks in Washington.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	2,680	$74,970
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA	240	$61,650
Bellingham, WA	110	$55,380
Kennewick-Richland, WA	100	$62,230
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA	100	$65,790
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA	90	$61,260
Yakima, WA	60	$61,420
Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA	50	$66,390
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA	30	$69,610

Top States for Chefs and Head Cooks Employment

The table below shows the states where the most chefs and head cooks work.

State	Number Employed
California	26,500
Florida	17,170
Texas	16,550
New York	15,420
Pennsylvania	7,060
New Jersey	6,060
Illinois	5,540
Massachusetts	5,330
Michigan	5,310
Nevada	4,560
Georgia	4,390
Colorado	4,180
North Carolina	4,100
Ohio	4,040
Virginia	3,900
Washington	3,840
Oregon	3,640
Connecticut	3,600
Maryland	3,310
Arizona	3,260

Highest-Paying States for Chefs and Head Cooks

These states pay the most for chefs and head cooks.

State	Annual Median Salary
Hawaii	$81,200
Rhode Island	$79,160
North Dakota	$76,630
District of Columbia	$74,000
Massachusetts	$71,330
Washington	$69,800
New Jersey	$69,660
California	$66,780
Delaware	$65,290
Wyoming	$64,790

Skills

The most important chefs and head cooks skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Important knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Top abilities for chefs and head cooks, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, chefs and head cooks typically:

• Monitor sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations.
• Instruct cooks or other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, or presentation of food.
• Supervise or coordinate activities of cooks or workers engaged in food preparation.
• Order or requisition food or other supplies needed to ensure efficient operation.
• Inspect supplies, equipment, or work areas to ensure conformance to established standards.
• Check the quantity and quality of received products.
• Check the quality of raw or cooked food products to ensure that standards are met.
• Estimate amounts and costs of required supplies, such as food and ingredients.
• Coordinate planning, budgeting, or purchasing for all the food operations within establishments such as clubs, hotels, or restaurant chains.
• Analyze recipes to assign prices to menu items, based on food, labor, and overhead costs.
• Plan, direct, or supervise food preparation or cooking activities of multiple kitchens or restaurants in an establishment such as a restaurant chain, hospital, or hotel.
• Determine how food should be presented and create decorative food displays.

Work Activities

• Training and Teaching Others
• Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
• Developing and Building Teams
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
• Getting Information
• Coaching and Developing Others
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
• Scheduling Work and Activities
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

Tools & Technology

Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Facebook In-demand technologies: Microsoft Excel

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Programs that train for this career include:

• Culinary Arts

Related Careers

Related occupations to chefs and head cooks include:

• Food Service Managers
• Dietetic Technicians
• First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
• Cooks, Fast Food
• Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
• Cooks, Private Household

Also Known As

Baker, Banquet Chef, Bread and Pastry Baker, Cake Froster, Cake Icer, Cake Maker, Cake Mixer, Certified Executive Chef (CEC), Chef, Chef Manager, Chef de Cuisine, Chef de Froid, Chocolatier, Confectioner, Cook.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 35-1011.00