Fresher
10th to 25th percentile
From
$43,110
To
$59,930
Use this for early-career offers or roles with limited paid experience.
Median annual salary
$74,900
BLS OEWS 2025
25th percentile
$59,930
Lower market anchor
75th percentile
$80,060
Upper market anchor
Mean annual salary
$74,250
Average published wage
Salary Explorer
Pick a work area, role, location, and experience band to compare salary ranges.
Selected
Intermediate salary for Chef in Washington DC
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
$74,900
BLS
to
Intermediate
25th to 75th percentile
From
$59,930
To
$80,060
Use this for candidates with proven role skills and solid delivery history.
Senior
75th to 90th percentile
From
$80,060
To
$102,870
Use this for senior candidates, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.
Fresher salary answer
Freshers and entry-level candidates can compare chef offers in Washington DC against $43,110 to $59,930.
Intermediate salary answer
Intermediate candidates can compare chef offers in Washington DC against $59,930 to $80,060.
Senior salary answer
Senior candidates can compare chef offers in Washington DC against $80,060 to $102,870.
How Washington DC Salaries Compare With Other Cities for This Role
Washington DC 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 Washington DC with other roles available in the salary directory. Each row uses BLS OEWS min, avg, and top salary data.
Mean annual salary
Attorney
Lawyers, SOC 23-1011
$226,780
Corporate Counsel
Lawyers, SOC 23-1011
$226,780
General Counsel
Lawyers, SOC 23-1011
$226,780
Lawyer
Lawyers, SOC 23-1011
$226,780
Physician
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$226,120
Psychiatrist
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$226,120
Surgeon
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$226,120
Dentist
Dentists, General, SOC 29-1021
$215,610
CIO
Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021
$206,960
Chef
Chefs and Head Cooks, SOC 35-1011
$74,250
Salary Snapshot
The median annual salary for chefs in Washington DC is $74,900. The middle market range runs from $59,930 at the 25th percentile to $80,060 at the 75th percentile. The wider salary range runs from $43,110to $102,870.
| Measure | Value | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $43,110 | Lower published wage point |
| 25th percentile | $59,930 | Common lower market anchor |
| Median | $74,900 | Middle of the BLS wage range |
| 75th percentile | $80,060 | Upper market anchor |
| 90th percentile | $102,870 | 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
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
- Employment estimate
- 4,680
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median chef salary in Washington DC?
The median annual salary for chefs in Washington DC is $74,900, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data for Chefs and Head Cooks.
How much can fresher chef candidates expect in Washington DC?
Freshers and entry-level candidates can use the 10th to 25th percentile range as a guide. For chefs in Washington DC, that range is $43,110 to $59,930. It is a percentile band, not a fixed years-of-experience rule.
What is the intermediate chef salary range in Washington DC?
Intermediate candidates can compare offers against the 25th to 75th percentile range. For chefs in Washington DC, that range is $59,930 to $80,060.
What do senior chef candidates earn in Washington DC?
Senior candidates can use the 75th to 90th percentile range for stronger skill depth, senior scope, or higher-paying employers. For chefs in Washington DC, that range is $80,060 to $102,870.
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 Washington DC mean city limits or a metro area?
Washington DC is displayed as a candidate-friendly city label, but the underlying wage estimate is for the BLS metro area Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, not strict city limits.
Written by Adithyan RK
Published on: 10 May 2026|Last updated: 13 Jul 2026
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