Chefs and Head Cooks pay in Pennsylvania
$67,890avg. a year
$32.64 an hour · 9,170 employed
Chefs and Head Cooks in Pennsylvania earn an average of $67,890 a year. That is about the same as the U.S. average of $66,700. The best-paying metro area is Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD at $71,310.
$63,860Median pay
$32.64Average hourly
+13%Avg. pay since 2020
#17Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying Pennsylvania metro areas
Average pay for chefs and head cooks by metro area. Swipe to see all 16.
15,700 jobs
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
$71,310
$34.28 an hour
2210 jobs
Reading, PA
$70,150
$33.73 an hour
31,340 jobs
Pittsburgh, PA
$69,290
$33.31 an hour
4570 jobs
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
$66,010
$31.74 an hour
5450 jobs
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA
$64,410
$30.97 an hour
6160 jobs
York-Hanover, PA
$62,800
$30.19 an hour
7280 jobs
Lancaster, PA
$61,840
$29.73 an hour
870 jobs
Johnstown, PA
$61,810
$29.72 an hour
9400 jobs
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
$61,760
$29.69 an hour
10120 jobs
State College, PA
$60,150
$28.92 an hour
1150 jobs
Chambersburg, PA
$59,230
$28.47 an hour
1280 jobs
Williamsport, PA
$57,380
$27.59 an hour
1370 jobs
Lebanon, PA
$57,240
$27.52 an hour
1450 jobs
Gettysburg, PA
$56,660
$27.24 an hour
15150 jobs
Erie, PA
$55,260
$26.57 an hour
1660 jobs
Altoona, PA
$53,740
$25.84 an hour
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.
Chefs and Head Cooks pay in Pennsylvania, charted
Pay over time
Pennsylvania, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where Pennsylvania chefs and head cooks work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · Pennsylvania highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $60k$60k–$66k$66k–$70k$70k+Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $66,700 | $32.07 |
| Pennsylvania | $67,890 | $32.64 |
| New York | $74,840 | $35.98 |
| New Jersey | $72,930 | $35.06 |
| Delaware | $66,590 | $32.02 |
| Maryland | $65,930 | $31.70 |
| West Virginia | $64,600 | $31.06 |
Related jobs in Pennsylvania
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$44,550
- Fast Food and Counter Workers$28,930
- Waiters and Waitresses$38,110
- Cooks, Restaurant$35,750
- Food Preparation Workers$31,880
- Bartenders$35,460
Average pay, Pennsylvania, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do chefs and head cooks make in Pennsylvania?
The average is $67,890 a year, and the median is $63,860. That is about the same as the U.S. average of $66,700.
What is the hourly wage in Pennsylvania?
$32.64 an hour on average; the median is $30.70.
Where in Pennsylvania do they earn the most?
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ($71,310), followed by Reading, PA ($70,150). The lowest average among 16 metro areas with data is Altoona, PA ($53,740).
How does Pennsylvania rank?
Pennsylvania ranks #17 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 35-1011. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national chefs and head cooks page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.