Chefs and Head Cooks pay in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
$74,250avg. a year
$35.70 an hour · 4,680 employed
Chefs and Head Cooks in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earn an average of $74,250 a year. That is $5,410 (7%) less than the District of Columbia average of $79,660. The U.S. average is $66,700.
$74,900Median pay
$35.70Average hourly
-7%vs. District of Columbia average
4,680Jobs in this metro
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
How Washington-Arlington-Alexandria compares
Pay range: metro vs. state vs. U.S.
Annual wage percentiles, May 2025
This metroDistrict of ColumbiaU.S.
Related jobs in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
| Job | Avg. pay in this metro |
|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $51,700 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $35,550 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $51,820 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | $42,590 |
| Food Preparation Workers | $38,690 |
| Bartenders | $56,200 |
Questions and answers
How much do chefs and head cooks make in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
The average is $74,250 a year, and the median is $74,900. About 4,680 people work in this job in the metro area.
Is that more than the District of Columbia average?
That is $5,410 (7%) less than the District of Columbia average of $79,660.
Is this job common in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
It makes up 1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the metro area, 1.16 times the national share.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, occupation code 35-1011. Metro area: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan statistical area (BLS area code 47900). Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.