Chefs and Head Cooks Salary
Chefs and Head Cooks in Fairbanks-College, AK make a median of $55,130 a year, or about $26.5 an hour. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $77K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.21), that's roughly $53,415 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,676/month, about 43.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $55K get you in Fairbanks-College?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Fairbanks-College’s Regional Price Parity (103.21). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About chefs and head cooks
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Fairbanks-College
Pay for chefs and head cooks in Fairbanks-College runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $62K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,676/month, which is 43.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.21) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for chefs and head cookss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chefs and head cooks in metros near Fairbanks-College, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Anchorage | $49K | $47K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Fairbanks-College, AK
Entry-level chefs and head cooks (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $77K or more, a $45K spread from bottom to top.
Chefs and Head Cooks pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Chefs and Head Cooks salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $80K | +28% | 740 |
| Hawaii | $77K | +24% | 1,240 |
| District of Columbia | $76K | +22% | 2,020 |
| Washington | $76K | +22% | 5,320 |
| North Dakota | $75K | +20% | 100 |
| New Jersey | $74K | +19% | 9,100 |
| Wyoming | $73K | +17% | 240 |
| South Carolina | $72K | +15% | 2,650 |
| New York | $71K | +13% | 17,430 |
| Tennessee | $70K | +12% | 3,820 |
| Massachusetts | $70K | +11% | 6,000 |
| Georgia | $66K | +6% | 3,680 |
| Vermont | $65K | +5% | 610 |
| Colorado | $65K | +5% | 3,970 |
| California | $65K | +3% | 31,670 |
| Missouri | $64K | +3% | 1,750 |
| Connecticut | $64K | +3% | 3,080 |
| Pennsylvania | $64K | +2% | 9,170 |
| Oregon | $64K | +2% | 2,510 |
| New Hampshire | $63K | +1% | 1,170 |
| Virginia | $63K | +1% | 3,600 |
| Minnesota | $63K | +0% | 1,730 |
| Alabama | $62K | -0% | 1,000 |
| Nevada | $62K | -0% | 3,940 |
| New Mexico | $62K | -0% | 770 |
| Maryland | $62K | -1% | 3,220 |
| Delaware | $61K | -2% | 590 |
| Wisconsin | $61K | -2% | 1,860 |
| North Carolina | $61K | -2% | 4,920 |
| West Virginia | $61K | -2% | 350 |
| Nebraska | $61K | -3% | 540 |
| Michigan | $60K | -4% | 5,360 |
| Arizona | $60K | -4% | 4,080 |
| Utah | $59K | -5% | 1,740 |
| Illinois | $59K | -6% | 8,290 |
| Oklahoma | $59K | -6% | 1,430 |
| Kansas | $58K | -7% | 860 |
| Florida | $58K | -7% | 19,670 |
| Montana | $57K | -8% | 720 |
| Maine | $57K | -9% | 1,250 |
| Texas | $56K | -10% | 13,270 |
| Mississippi | $55K | -12% | 840 |
| Ohio | $54K | -14% | 4,000 |
| Indiana | $52K | -16% | 1,940 |
| Alaska | $52K | -16% | 680 |
| Idaho | $52K | -17% | 550 |
| South Dakota | $48K | -22% | 300 |
| Kentucky | $48K | -23% | 1,790 |
| Iowa | $48K | -23% | 1,640 |
| Arkansas | $46K | -26% | 880 |
| Louisiana | $46K | -27% | 1,990 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track chefs and head cooks salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Fairbanks-College numbers change.
Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
Can a chefs and head cook afford a 2BR apartment alone in Fairbanks-College?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 43.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,676/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for chefs and head cooks in Fairbanks-College?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chefs and head cooks typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,933/month. At HUD’s $1,676/month FMR, rent would take 87% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is chefs and head cook a high-paying job in Fairbanks-College?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $55K here vs. $62K nationally.
How does Fairbanks-College compare to the national average for chefs and head cooks?
Fairbanks-College pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.21), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — below the national median.
How much do chefs and head cooks make in Fairbanks-College, AK?
The median is $55,130 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,220, and experienced chefs and head cooks can clear $77,360. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in Fairbanks-College?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,861/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,676/month, which eats 43.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a chefs and head cooks salary go in Fairbanks-College?
Fairbanks-College has a Regional Price Parity of 103.21 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median chefs and head cooks salary is worth about $53,415 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do chefs and head cooks get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.