Chefs and Head Cooks Salary
Chefs and Head Cooks in Illinois make a median of $58,830 a year, or about $28.29 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $88K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $62,685 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,407/month, about 36.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $59K get you in Illinois?
About chefs and head cooks
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What this looks like in Illinois
Chefs and head cooks pay in Illinois tracks closely to the national median, $59K locally vs. $62K nationwide, a 6% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,407/month, which is 36.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level chefs and head cooks (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $59K. Top earners bring in $88K or more, a $48K spread from bottom to top.
Chefs and Head Cooks salary by metro in Illinois
7 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $61K | +3% | 6,840 |
| Bloomington | $56K | -5% | 100 |
| Springfield | $48K | -18% | 100 |
| Champaign-Urbana | $48K | -18% | 130 |
| Peoria | $48K | -19% | 190 |
| Rockford | $48K | -19% | 130 |
| Kankakee | $47K | -20% | 40 |
Compare to other states
Track chefs and head cooks salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a chefs and head cook afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $59K, rent takes 36.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/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 Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chefs and head cooks typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,420/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 58% 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 Illinois?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $59K locally vs. $62K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for chefs and head cooks?
Illinois pays $59K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s -6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $63K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do chefs and head cooks make in Illinois?
The median is $58,830 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,330, and experienced chefs and head cooks can clear $88,420. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $59K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,866/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 36.4% 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 Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median chefs and head cooks salary is worth about $62,685 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.