Fresher
10th to 25th percentile
From
$50,810
To
$61,860
Use this for early-career offers or roles with limited paid experience.
Median annual salary
$80,330
BLS OEWS 2025
25th percentile
$61,860
Lower market anchor
75th percentile
$81,630
Upper market anchor
Mean annual salary
$76,820
Average published wage
Salary Explorer
Pick a work area, role, location, and experience band to compare salary ranges.
Selected
Intermediate salary for Chef in Seattle
Open the page for the 25th to 75th percentile and the full percentile breakdown.
Salary Range by Experience
These bands translate salary percentiles into practical fresher, intermediate, and senior salary ranges. They are not fixed years-of-experience rules.
Median salary
$80,330
BLS
to
Intermediate
25th to 75th percentile
From
$61,860
To
$81,630
Use this for candidates with proven role skills and solid delivery history.
Senior
75th to 90th percentile
From
$81,630
To
$99,570
Use this for senior candidates, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.
Fresher salary answer
Freshers and entry-level candidates can compare chef offers in Seattle against $50,810 to $61,860.
Intermediate salary answer
Intermediate candidates can compare chef offers in Seattle against $61,860 to $81,630.
Senior salary answer
Senior candidates can compare chef offers in Seattle against $81,630 to $99,570.
How Seattle Salaries Compare With Other Cities for This Role
Seattle is a BLS metro estimate. The other rows are BLS metro areas for Chefs and Head Cooks, so candidates can compare local pay with major hiring markets.
Mean annual salary
Seattle
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$76,820
Boston
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$75,450
New York
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
$74,840
Washington DC
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$74,250
San Francisco
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$73,910
Atlanta
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$73,840
Denver
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
$72,990
Los Angeles
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$69,260
Austin
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
$68,120
Dallas
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$66,880
How Chef Salaries Compare With Other Roles
This chart compares chef pay in Seattle with other roles available in the salary directory. Each row uses BLS OEWS min, avg, and top salary data.
Mean annual salary
Physician
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$315,020
Psychiatrist
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$315,020
Surgeon
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$315,020
CIO
Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021
$231,400
CTO
Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021
$231,400
Engineering Manager
Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021
$231,400
IT Manager
Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021
$231,400
VP of Engineering
Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021
$231,400
Branch Manager
Financial Managers, SOC 11-3031
$205,010
Chef
Chefs and Head Cooks, SOC 35-1011
$76,820
Salary Snapshot
The median annual salary for chefs in Seattle is $80,330. The middle market range runs from $61,860 at the 25th percentile to $81,630 at the 75th percentile. The wider salary range runs from $50,810to $99,570.
| Measure | Value | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $50,810 | Lower published wage point |
| 25th percentile | $61,860 | Common lower market anchor |
| Median | $80,330 | Middle of the BLS wage range |
| 75th percentile | $81,630 | Upper market anchor |
| 90th percentile | $99,570 | High published wage point |
Source Notes
This page maps Chef to BLS occupation Chefs and Head Cooks, SOC 35-1011. The wage data is annual USD salary from BLS OEWS 2025. It does not include equity, signing bonus, bonus targets, benefits value, or self-employed income.
This page uses the BLS OEWS occupation Chefs and Head Cooks, SOC 35-1011, as the public wage source for Chef.
- BLS area
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
- Employment estimate
- 3,740
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median chef salary in Seattle?
The median annual salary for chefs in Seattle is $80,330, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data for Chefs and Head Cooks.
How much can fresher chef candidates expect in Seattle?
Freshers and entry-level candidates can use the 10th to 25th percentile range as a guide. For chefs in Seattle, that range is $50,810 to $61,860. It is a percentile band, not a fixed years-of-experience rule.
What is the intermediate chef salary range in Seattle?
Intermediate candidates can compare offers against the 25th to 75th percentile range. For chefs in Seattle, that range is $61,860 to $81,630.
What do senior chef candidates earn in Seattle?
Senior candidates can use the 75th to 90th percentile range for stronger skill depth, senior scope, or higher-paying employers. For chefs in Seattle, that range is $81,630 to $99,570.
Does this salary data include bonuses or equity?
No. BLS OEWS wage estimates cover wages and salaries. They do not fully capture equity, signing bonuses, annual bonus targets, benefits value, or contractor rates.
How should I use these salary percentiles?
Use percentiles as market anchors. The 10th to 25th percentile can fit fresher or lower-paid roles, the median is the midpoint, and the 75th to 90th percentile can fit stronger experience, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.
Why does this page use Chefs and Head Cooks instead of only Chef?
BLS publishes wages by standard occupation. This page maps Chef to Chefs and Head Cooks, SOC 35-1011, so the numbers come from a public wage series instead of a private survey.
Does Seattle mean city limits or a metro area?
Seattle is displayed as a candidate-friendly city label, but the underlying wage estimate is for the BLS metro area Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, not strict city limits.
Written by Adithyan RK
Published on: 14 May 2026|Last updated: 9 Jul 2026
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