Chefs and Head Cooks pay in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
$71,310avg. a year
$34.28 an hour · 5,700 employed
Chefs and Head Cooks in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area earn an average of $71,310 a year. That is $3,420 (5%) more than the Pennsylvania average of $67,890. The U.S. average is $66,700.
$65,680Median pay
$34.28Average hourly
+5%vs. Pennsylvania average
5,700Jobs in this metro
Other Pennsylvania metro areas
Average pay for chefs and head cooks in other Pennsylvania metro areas. Swipe to see all 15.
1210 jobs
Reading, PA
$70,150
$33.73 an hour
21,340 jobs
Pittsburgh, PA
$69,290
$33.31 an hour
3570 jobs
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
$66,010
$31.74 an hour
4450 jobs
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA
$64,410
$30.97 an hour
5160 jobs
York-Hanover, PA
$62,800
$30.19 an hour
6280 jobs
Lancaster, PA
$61,840
$29.73 an hour
770 jobs
Johnstown, PA
$61,810
$29.72 an hour
8400 jobs
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
$61,760
$29.69 an hour
9120 jobs
State College, PA
$60,150
$28.92 an hour
1050 jobs
Chambersburg, PA
$59,230
$28.47 an hour
1180 jobs
Williamsport, PA
$57,380
$27.59 an hour
1270 jobs
Lebanon, PA
$57,240
$27.52 an hour
1350 jobs
Gettysburg, PA
$56,660
$27.24 an hour
14150 jobs
Erie, PA
$55,260
$26.57 an hour
1560 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.
How Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington compares
Pay range: metro vs. state vs. U.S.
Annual wage percentiles, May 2025
This metroPennsylvaniaU.S.
Pennsylvania metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 · this metro highlighted
Related jobs in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
| Job | Avg. pay in this metro |
|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $48,770 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $31,880 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $41,390 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | $38,970 |
| Food Preparation Workers | $34,950 |
| Bartenders | $41,320 |
Questions and answers
How much do chefs and head cooks make in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
The average is $71,310 a year, and the median is $65,680. About 5,700 people work in this job in the metro area.
Is that more than the Pennsylvania average?
That is $3,420 (5%) more than the Pennsylvania average of $67,890.
Is this job common in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
It makes up 2.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the metro area, 1.53 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: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan statistical area (BLS area code 37980). 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.