Chefs and Head Cooks Salary
Chefs and Head Cooks in Helena, MT make a median of $57,510 a year, or about $27.65 an hour. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $91K for experienced workers.
So what does $58K get you in Helena?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Helena’s Regional Price Parity (95.7). 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
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What this looks like in Helena
Chefs and head cooks pay in Helena tracks closely to the national median, $58K locally vs. $62K nationwide, a 8% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,404/month, which is 36.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.7) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chefs and head cooks in metros near Helena, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Billings | $60K | , |
| Bozeman | $62K | , |
| Missoula | $57K | , |
| Boise City | $48K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Helena, MT
Entry-level chefs and head cooks (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $58K. Top earners bring in $91K or more, a $56K 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 |
| Alaska | $52K | -16% | 680 |
| Indiana | $52K | -16% | 1,940 |
| 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 states
Track chefs and head cooks salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Helena numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a chefs and head cook afford a 2BR apartment alone in Helena?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $58K, rent takes 36.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,404/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/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 Helena?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chefs and head cooks typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,057/month. At HUD’s $1,404/month FMR, rent would take 68% 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 Helena?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $58K locally vs. $62K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Helena compare to the national average for chefs and head cooks?
Helena pays $58K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s -8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $60K — below the national median.
How much do chefs and head cooks make in Helena, MT?
The median is $57,510 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,290, and experienced chefs and head cooks can clear $90,530. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $58K enough to live in Helena?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,830/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,404/month, which eats 36.7% 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 Helena?
Helena has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median chefs and head cooks salary is worth about $60,094 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.