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Chef salary in New York

Updated October 31, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Published by Humblebee.

$70,670median pay per year in New York, or $33.98 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $46,260lowest 10% earn less
  2. $55,07025th percentile
  3. $70,670median
  4. $93,24075th percentile
  5. $120,370top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[2]US median for this job, $62,470[3]

The median pay for chefs in New York was $70,670 a year in May 2025[1]. That was $8,200 higher than the US median[6].

Jobs in NY
17,430[4]
Rank by median pay
9 of 51[5]
Compared with US median
+13.1%[6]

How much do chefs make in New York?

Half of the chefs in New York earned more than $70,670 a year and half earned less[1]. That works out to $33.98 an hour[1]. The US median for the same job was $62,470[3], so New York was 13.1% higher[6]. It also sat $11,000 above the median for all jobs in the state, which was $59,670[7][8]. New York had the 9th highest median for this job among the states and DC with a published median[5].

The lowest-paid 10% of chefs in New York earned less than $46,260[2]. The highest-paid 10% earned more than $120,370[2]. The average wage was $74,840[9].

Among metro areas, Albany-Schenectady-Troy had the highest median at $84,430[10]. The New York-Newark-Jersey City area had the most chef jobs, with a median of $71,780[11].

OEWS counts wage and salary workers, both part time and full time. It leaves out the self-employed and owners and partners in unincorporated firms. Its wages also leave out bonuses that are not tied to production and the cost of benefits such as health insurance[12].

New York vs US pay

Pay for chefs in New York next to the national figures[1][3].

NYUS
Median per year$70,670[1]$62,470[3]
Median per hour$33.98[1]$30.03[3]
Lowest 10% earn less than$46,260[2]$37,900[13]
Top 10% earn more than$120,370[2]$98,560[13]
Jobs17,430[4]200,040[3]

Pay by metro area in New York

Metro areas in New York with the most jobs for chefs, and the median pay in each[11]. A metro area that crosses state lines is counted as a whole.

Metro areaMedian per yearJobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ[11]$71,78020,010
Rochester, NY$66,080690
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY$74,290640
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY$84,430470
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY$72,340360
Syracuse, NY$64,170240
Utica-Rome, NY$61,090220
Kingston, NY$74,710140

Pay in nearby states

Median pay for chefs in the states that border New York, highest first[14].

StateMedian per yearJobs
New Jersey[14]$74,2809,100
Massachusetts$69,5406,000
Vermont$65,440610
Connecticut$64,3103,080
Pennsylvania$63,8609,170

Median pay for chefs in every state

Job outlook and training

Across the US, jobs for chefs are projected to grow 6.6% from 2025 to 2035[15]. BLS does not publish this projection by state. The typical education for entry is: high school diploma or equivalent[16].

How to become one: steps, training and duties

Frequently asked questions

How much does a chef make in New York?
The median pay for chefs in New York was $70,670 a year in May 2025[1]. The average was $74,840[9].
How much does a chef make an hour in New York?
The median hourly wage for chefs in New York was $33.98[1]. At the low end, pay was under $22.24 an hour, and at the high end it passed $57.87[17].
Which city in New York pays chefs the most?
Albany-Schenectady-Troy had the highest median among metro areas with a published figure, at $84,430 a year[10]. Among the eight metro areas with the most chef jobs, Kingston and Buffalo-Cheektowaga had the next highest medians after Albany-Schenectady-Troy, at $74,710 and $74,290[11].
Is New York a good state for chefs?
New York had the 9th highest median annual wage for chefs among the states and DC with a published median[5]. Its median was 13.1% above the US figure[6].
What do you need to become a chef in New York?
These are US figures, not New York ones. Across the US, the typical entry path lists a high school diploma or equivalent and 5 years or more of work experience in a related job[16].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Chefs and Head Cooks in New York was $70,670 per year and $33.98 per hour. Half of these workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Chefs and Head Cooks in New York: 10th percentile $46,260, 25th percentile $55,070, 75th percentile $93,240, 90th percentile $120,370. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less, the 90th means 10% earned more. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Chefs and Head Cooks in the US as a whole was $62,470 per year and $30.03 per hour, with about 200,040 jobs nationwide. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 17,430 people worked as Chefs and Head Cooks in New York (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: New York had the 9th highest median annual wage for Chefs and Head Cooks out of the 50 states and DC with a published median. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Chefs and Head Cooks in New York ($70,670) was $8,200 (13.1%) higher than the US median ($62,470). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in New York was $59,670. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Chefs and Head Cooks in New York was $11,000 higher than the median for all occupations in the state ($59,670). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Chefs and Head Cooks in New York was $74,840 per year and $35.98 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS, May 2025: of the 13 metro areas in or partly in New York with a published median for Chefs and Head Cooks, Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY had the highest median annual wage, $84,430. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. Metro areas with the most jobs in this occupation, with median annual wage, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Chefs and Head Cooks in the US: 10th percentile $37,900, 25th percentile $48,440, 75th percentile $78,750, 90th percentile $98,560. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, median annual wage for Chefs and Head Cooks in states that border New York (highest first): New Jersey $74,280; Massachusetts $69,540; Vermont $65,440; Connecticut $64,310; Pennsylvania $63,860. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state): employment of Chefs and Head Cooks is projected to grow 6.6% nationwide from 2025 to 2035, with about 25,200 openings a year on average. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5%. BLS Employment Projections
  16. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state), typical path into Chefs and Head Cooks: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: 5 years or more; typical on-the-job training: None. BLS Employment Projections
  17. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Chefs and Head Cooks in New York: 10th percentile $22.24, 25th percentile $26.48, 75th percentile $44.83, 90th percentile $57.87. BLS OEWS, May 2025

State figures cover only New York. Job outlook and entry requirements are national (US) figures: BLS does not publish them by state in our sources. Figures labelled “CareerFacts calculation” are simple differences between the BLS numbers shown.