Chefs And Lead Cooks: Job, Salary, and School Information from The Riley Guide

Job Numbers and Growth

There are about 115,000 chefs and lead cooks in the United States. Unemployment for this occupation is high when compared to other careers.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

8% of employees work on a part-time basis. 7% of the time, people working as chefs and lead cooks are their own boss.

Training and Education

If you want to pursue this career, you will benefit from having work experience in a related occupation. The percentage of employees with a 4 year degree is 14%. According to 2008 data 39% of chefs and lead cooks have attended college, but do not have a degree. Among workers, 48% have a high-school diploma, but no college education. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which, if any, could help you with this career.

Area Job Conditions

Jobs for this occupation are most common in Atlantic City (New Jersey), Brunswick (Georgia), and Barnstable (Massachusetts), but are rarer in Fort Wayne (Indiana), Tallahassee (Florida), and Provo (Utah).

Chefs and lead cooks are paid comparatively more in Terre Haute (Indiana), Sebastian (Florida), and Napa (California) and comparatively less in Morristown (Tennessee), Mobile (Alabama), and Brunswick (Georgia).

Career Overview Video About Chefs And Lead Cooks

Chefs And Lead Cooks: Job and Salary Data by Metropolitan Area

The table below shows data for Chefs And Lead Cooks, as of 2008. The Popularity in Area number tells you how common jobs for Chefs And Lead Cooks are in the area, compared to other US metro areas. A value of 1.0 means an average number of people in the position for area population. Lower numbers mean fewer of these positions in the metro area. The most popular areas for Chefs And Lead Cooks are starred .

State	Area	Positions	Typical Pay	Popularity in Area
Alabama	Auburn	30	$31,180	1.1
Alabama	Birmingham	190	$42,560	0.5
Alabama	Huntsville	70	$32,950	0.5
Alabama	Mobile	110	$25,150	0.9
Alabama	Montgomery	60	$44,360	0.5
Alabama	Tuscaloosa	50	$26,410	0.9
Alaska	Anchorage	320		2.9
Alaska	Fairbanks	60	$27,220	3.1
Arizona	Flagstaff	90	$35,030	2.6
Arizona	Kingman	80	$37,090	2.5
Arizona	Phoenix	1,730	$42,880	1.3
Arizona	Prescott	90	$32,300	2.3
Arizona	Tucson	490	$37,730	1.9
Arizona	Yuma	40	$32,800	1
Arkansas	Fayetteville	50	$28,400	0.4
Arkansas	Fort Smith	50	$32,740	0.6
Arkansas	Little Rock	130	$35,060	0.5
California	Fresno	120	$38,650	0.5
California	Modesto	70	$52,270	0.6
California	Napa	120	$58,930	2.9
California	Oakland	640	$48,060	0.9
California	Oxnard	130	$43,800	0.6
California	Riverside	790	$46,410	0.9
California	Sacramento	580	$46,400	0.9
California	Salinas	200	$45,060	1.9
California	San Diego	1,370	$45,270	1.4
California	San Francisco	1,350	$52,910	1.9
California	San Jose	860	$44,000	1.3
California	San Luis Obispo	120	$41,960	1.8
California	Santa Ana	1,160	$42,850	1.1
California	Santa Barbara	220	$49,340	1.9
California	Santa Cruz	80	$41,080	1.4
California	Santa Rosa	260	$46,580	2.1
California	Stockton	80	$42,180	0.5
California	Vallejo	40	$45,500	0.5
Colorado	Colorado Springs	220	$43,480	1.3
Colorado	Denver	1,170	$41,330	1.3
Colorado	Fort Collins	110	$38,070	1.4
Connecticut	Bridgeport	460	$56,800	1.5
Connecticut	Danbury	70	$39,920	1.5
Connecticut	Hartford	550	$47,340	1.3
Connecticut	New Haven	200	$58,790	1
Connecticut	Norwich	150	$55,850	1.8
Delaware	Dover	40	$41,640	1.2
Delaware	Wilmington	170	$49,390	0.7
District of Columbia	Washington	2,200	$53,200	1.3
Florida	Cape Coral	250	$40,900	1.7
Florida	Fort Lauderdale	500	$44,800	1
Florida	Gainesville	100	$33,380	1.3
Florida	Jacksonville	330	$43,300	0.8
Florida	Miami	1,010	$52,500	1.4
Florida	Naples	280	$53,180	3.5
Florida	Orlando	780	$48,330	1
Florida	Palm Bay	140	$33,560	1
Florida	Panama City	60	$40,940	1.4
Florida	Pensacola	130	$43,440	1.3
Florida	Port St Lucie	100	$52,110	1.2
Florida	Sarasota	200	$47,450	1.1
Florida	Sebastian	50	$65,410	1.7
Florida	Tallahassee	30	$52,230	0.3
Florida	Tampa	870	$46,890	1
Florida	West Palm Beach	950	$47,530	2.5
Georgia	Athens	30	$49,260	0.6
Georgia	Atlanta	2,080	$35,830	1.2
Georgia	Augusta	170	$29,830	1.2
Georgia	Brunswick	100	$27,390	3.9
Georgia	Columbus	120	$37,940	1.7
Georgia	Macon	50	$29,170	0.8
Hawaii	Honolulu	570	$49,100	1.9
Idaho	Coeur Dalene	40	$32,610	1.2
Illinois	Bloomington	40	$38,200	0.9
Illinois	Champaign	140	$46,340	2.3
Illinois	Chicago	4,070	$37,530	1.5
Illinois	Peoria	210	$29,160	1.8
Illinois	Rockford	110	$30,320	1.1
Illinois	Springfield	80	$31,530	1.2
Indiana	Evansville	40	$37,210	0.3
Indiana	Fort Wayne	40	$36,240	0.3
Indiana	Gary	60	$44,670	0.3
Indiana	Indianapolis	320	$41,510	0.5
Indiana	Lafayette	40	$33,770	0.8
Indiana	South Bend	50	$36,600	0.5
Indiana	Terre Haute	50	$58,480	1.1
Iowa	Cedar Rapids	40	$47,310	0.4
Iowa	Davenport	110	$34,460	0.9
Iowa	Des Moines	110	$35,300	0.5
Kansas	Lawrence	60	$33,520	2.2
Kansas	Wichita	140	$30,630	0.7
Kentucky	Elizabethtown	40	$33,610	1.5
Kentucky	Lexington	160	$39,320	1
Kentucky	Louisville	300	$34,390	0.7
Louisiana	Alexandria	60	$45,750	1.6
Louisiana	Baton Rouge	200	$30,400	0.8
Louisiana	Houma	150	$40,870	2.4
Louisiana	Lafayette	150	$31,320	1.5
Louisiana	Lake Charles	130	$40,780	2.3
Louisiana	New Orleans	720	$37,570	2
Louisiana	Shreveport	300	$40,100	2.5
Maine	Bangor	40	$33,970	1
Maine	Portland	150	$45,650	1.1
Maryland	Baltimore	1,250	$44,430	1.3
Maryland	Bethesda	750	$46,370	1.8
Massachusetts	Barnstable Town	250	$49,810	3.8
Massachusetts	Boston	2,340	$44,800	1.9
Massachusetts	Brockton	40	$46,520	0.7
Massachusetts	Framingham	90	$52,860	0.8
Massachusetts	Haverhill	80	$39,560	1.6
Massachusetts	Lawrence	30	$43,650	0.8
Massachusetts	Leominster	40	$40,050	1.3
Massachusetts	Lowell	130	$42,820	1.6
Massachusetts	New Bedford	60	$45,510	1.5
Massachusetts	Pittsfield	40	$38,050	2
Massachusetts	Springfield	370	$38,790	1.8
Massachusetts	Taunton	50	$45,180	1.8
Massachusetts	Worcester	260	$37,790	1.5
Michigan	Ann Arbor	150	$47,270	1.3
Michigan	Battle Creek	40		1.3
Michigan	Detroit	630	$45,480	1.2
Michigan	Flint	70	$30,710	0.8
Michigan	Grand Rapids	380	$37,460	1.4
Michigan	Holland	150	$40,130	2.2
Michigan	Kalamazoo	180	$35,370	2
Michigan	Lansing	170	$36,700	1.3
Michigan	Muskegon	30	$32,240	0.8
Michigan	Warren	670	$44,380	0.8
Minnesota	Duluth	110	$34,360	1.3
Minnesota	Minneapolis	1,050	$42,520	0.8
Minnesota	Rochester	50	$50,620	0.8
Mississippi	Gulfport	180	$33,340	2.5
Mississippi	Jackson	190	$30,670	1.1
Missouri	Columbia	50	$33,540	0.9
Missouri	Kansas City	630	$41,100	0.9
Missouri	Springfield	80	$38,510	0.6
Missouri	St Louis	700	$40,940	0.7
Montana	Missoula	60	$26,640	1.9
Nebraska	Lincoln	120	$32,690	1.1
Nebraska	Omaha	340	$36,670	1
Nevada	Las Vegas	2,360	$45,420	3.6
Nevada	Reno	300	$45,120	2.1
New Hampshire	Manchester	130	$38,020	1.9
New Hampshire	Nashua	210	$39,640	2.3
New Hampshire	Portsmouth	120	$37,680	3.4
New Hampshire	Rochester	80	$44,610	2.2
New Jersey	Atlantic City	410	$53,710	4.1
New Jersey	Camden	270	$53,070	0.7
New Jersey	Edison	600	$48,380	0.8
New Jersey	Newark	610	$47,400	0.8
New Jersey	Trenton	100	$48,540	0.7
New Mexico	Albuquerque	180	$33,070	0.7
New Mexico	Santa Fe	110	$41,450	2.7
New York	Albany	250	$37,500	0.8
New York	Buffalo	250	$43,490	0.7
New York	Glens Falls	60	$44,800	1.8
New York	Kingston	60	$54,980	1.6
New York	Nassau	670	$57,040	0.7
New York	New York	3,220	$65,620	0.9
New York	Poughkeepsie	150	$51,350	0.9
New York	Rochester	250	$44,310	0.7
New York	Syracuse	70	$55,510	0.3
New York	Utica	100	$41,290	1.2
North Carolina	Asheville	120	$37,740	1
North Carolina	Charlotte	850	$32,860	1.3
North Carolina	Durham	280	$36,910	1.5
North Carolina	Fayetteville	120	$30,830	1.5
North Carolina	Greensboro	130	$38,570	0.5
North Carolina	Hickory	50	$30,990	0.5
North Carolina	Raleigh	440	$37,500	1.2
North Carolina	Wilmington	60	$37,270	0.6
North Carolina	Winston Salem	70	$41,950	0.5
Ohio	Akron	110	$40,970	0.5
Ohio	Canton	50	$34,950	0.4
Ohio	Cincinnati	490	$42,270	0.7
Ohio	Cleveland	650	$41,190	0.9
Ohio	Columbus	360	$43,720	0.5
Ohio	Dayton	90	$44,730	0.3
Ohio	Toledo	110	$55,930	0.5
Ohio	Youngstown	150	$33,340	0.9
Oklahoma	Oklahoma City	350	$35,530	0.9
Oklahoma	Tulsa	290	$30,220	0.9
Oregon	Bend	80	$44,900	1.8
Oregon	Eugene	130	$32,320	1.3
Oregon	Medford	70	$36,330	1.3
Oregon	Portland	760	$39,190	1
Oregon	Salem	110	$41,110	1.1
Pennsylvania	Allentown	180	$38,830	0.8
Pennsylvania	Erie	70	$32,890	0.8
Pennsylvania	Harrisburg	220	$39,320	1
Pennsylvania	Johnstown	40	$46,470	1.1
Pennsylvania	Lancaster	160	$35,550	1
Pennsylvania	Philadelphia	1,430	$46,070	1.1
Pennsylvania	Pittsburgh	840	$35,890	1
Pennsylvania	Reading	80	$38,220	0.7
Pennsylvania	Scranton	170	$34,150	1
Pennsylvania	State College	100	$32,910	2.8
Pennsylvania	York	80	$34,030	0.6
Rhode Island	Providence	370	$49,910	0.9
South Carolina	Anderson	40	$34,100	1.1
South Carolina	Charleston	270	$40,920	1.3
South Carolina	Florence	40	$25,430	0.7
South Carolina	Greenville	280	$45,500	1.3
South Carolina	Myrtle Beach	200	$40,020	2.5
South Carolina	Spartanburg	60	$41,650	0.7
South Dakota	Sioux Falls	30	$33,150	0.3
Tennessee	Chattanooga	130	$28,610	0.8
Tennessee	Kingsport	70	$38,490	0.9
Tennessee	Knoxville	160	$40,170	0.7
Tennessee	Memphis	480	$32,050	1.1
Tennessee	Morristown	40	$23,470	1.4
Tennessee	Nashville	360	$43,490	0.7
Texas	Abilene	30	$34,320	0.8
Texas	Austin	490	$38,420	0.9
Texas	Beaumont	70	$47,510	0.7
Texas	Brownsville	40	$29,420	0.5
Texas	Corpus Christi	90		0.7
Texas	Dallas	1,330	$39,150	0.9
Texas	El Paso	170	$29,430	0.9
Texas	Fort Worth	510	$44,800	0.8
Texas	Houston	1,170	$42,480	0.6
Texas	San Antonio	680	$31,680	1.1
Texas	Tyler	80	$31,500	1.4
Utah	Ogden	50	$41,790	0.4
Utah	Provo	30	$44,000	0.3
Utah	Salt Lake City	280	$47,310	0.6
Vermont	Burlington	140	$37,870	1.9
Virginia	Charlottesville	50	$43,830	0.8
Virginia	Richmond	330	$46,000	0.8
Virginia	Roanoke	50	$34,700	0.5
Virginia	Virginia Beach	510	$39,540	0.9
Washington	Bellingham	40	$47,830	0.8
Washington	Bremerton	60	$46,290	1.1
Washington	Mount Vernon	30	$45,850	1.1
Washington	Seattle	770	$49,610	0.7
Washington	Spokane	210	$29,810	1.5
Washington	Tacoma	120	$50,260	0.6
West Virginia	Charleston	40	$40,080	0.4
West Virginia	Morgantown	50	$42,550	1.8
Wisconsin	Appleton	80	$33,080	1.1
Wisconsin	Eau Claire	50	$34,020	1
Wisconsin	Fond	60	$31,310	2.3
Wisconsin	Green Bay	70	$39,940	0.6
Wisconsin	Janesville	50	$27,550	1.2
Wisconsin	Madison	240	$35,130	1
Wisconsin	Milwaukee	540	$37,070	0.9
Wisconsin	Oshkosh	40	$30,510	0.7
Wisconsin	Racine	50	$28,290	1
Wisconsin	Sheboygan	50	$44,950	1.4
Wyoming	Casper	30		1.3

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Chefs And Lead Cooks