Chefs and Head Cooks Salary in Jefferson City, MO
Chefs and Head Cooks in Jefferson City, MO make a median of $48,000 a year, or about $23.08 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $74K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.97), which stretches that salary to about $54,564 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $910/month, or 27.8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $48K get you in Jefferson City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Jefferson City’s Regional Price Parity (87.97). 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.
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Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Jefferson City, MO
Entry-level chefs and head cooks (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $74K or more, a $39K spread from bottom to top.
Chefs and Head Cooks pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $81K | +33% | 830 |
| Rhode Island | $79K | +30% | 700 |
| North Dakota | $77K | +26% | 90 |
| District of Columbia | $74K | +21% | 1,940 |
| Massachusetts | $71K | +17% | 5,330 |
| Washington | $70K | +14% | 3,840 |
| New Jersey | $70K | +14% | 6,060 |
| California | $67K | +9% | 26,500 |
| Delaware | $65K | +7% | 490 |
| Wyoming | $65K | +6% | 330 |
| New York | $64K | +5% | 15,420 |
| Vermont | $63K | +4% | 530 |
| Alabama | $63K | +3% | 1,280 |
| Connecticut | $63K | +3% | 3,600 |
| Maryland | $62K | +2% | 3,310 |
| Arizona | $62K | +2% | 3,260 |
| Illinois | $61K | +1% | 5,540 |
| South Carolina | $61K | +0% | 2,000 |
| West Virginia | $61K | -0% | 310 |
| Oregon | $60K | -1% | 3,640 |
| Wisconsin | $60K | -1% | 2,130 |
| North Carolina | $60K | -2% | 4,100 |
| Virginia | $60K | -2% | 3,900 |
| Pennsylvania | $60K | -2% | 7,060 |
| Florida | $60K | -2% | 17,170 |
| Tennessee | $59K | -2% | 2,720 |
| Minnesota | $59K | -3% | 1,630 |
| Missouri | $59K | -3% | 1,590 |
| Nevada | $59K | -4% | 4,560 |
| Michigan | $58K | -4% | 5,310 |
| New Hampshire | $58K | -4% | 1,260 |
| Nebraska | $58K | -4% | 600 |
| Kansas | $58K | -4% | 980 |
| Alaska | $58K | -6% | 780 |
| Indiana | $57K | -6% | 1,140 |
| Ohio | $57K | -7% | 4,040 |
| Maine | $56K | -8% | 1,290 |
| Montana | $56K | -9% | 500 |
| New Mexico | $55K | -10% | 400 |
| Oklahoma | $53K | -13% | 1,210 |
| Georgia | $52K | -15% | 4,390 |
| Texas | $51K | -16% | 16,550 |
| Idaho | $50K | -18% | 420 |
| Arkansas | $49K | -20% | 950 |
| South Dakota | $47K | -24% | 290 |
| Mississippi | $45K | -26% | 950 |
| Utah | $44K | -27% | 1,880 |
| Kentucky | $44K | -27% | 1,860 |
| Iowa | $44K | -28% | 1,500 |
| Louisiana | $38K | -37% | 1,860 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track chefs and head cooks salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Jefferson City numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
How much do chefs and head cooks make in Jefferson City, MO?
The median is $48,000 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,870, and experienced chefs and head cooks can clear $73,610. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Jefferson City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,260/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $910/month, which eats 27.9% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a chefs and head cooks salary go in Jefferson City?
Jefferson City has a Regional Price Parity of 87.97 (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 $54,564 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.