Chefs and Head Cooks Salary
Chefs and Head Cooks in Las Cruces, NM make a median of $61,030 a year, or about $29.34 an hour. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $94K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.21), which stretches that salary to about $67,653 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,042/month, or 26% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $61K get you in Las Cruces?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Las Cruces’s Regional Price Parity (90.21). 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
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What this looks like in Las Cruces
Chefs and head cooks pay in Las Cruces tracks closely to the national median, $61K locally vs. $62K nationwide, a 2% difference. Rent runs $1,042/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 25.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.21 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chefs and head cooks in metros near Las Cruces, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | $60K | $63K |
| Santa Fe | $72K | $73K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $45K | $46K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $64K | $62K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Las Cruces, NM
Entry-level chefs and head cooks (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $94K or more, a $63K 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 Las Cruces numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a chefs and head cook afford a 2BR apartment alone in Las Cruces?
Yes — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 25.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,042/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chefs and head cooks in Las Cruces?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chefs and head cooks typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,902/month. At HUD’s $1,042/month FMR, rent would take 55% 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 Las Cruces?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $61K locally vs. $62K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Las Cruces compare to the national average for chefs and head cooks?
Las Cruces pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.21), the purchasing-power equivalent is $68K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do chefs and head cooks make in Las Cruces, NM?
The median is $61,030 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,700, and experienced chefs and head cooks can clear $94,420. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Las Cruces?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,090/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,042/month, which eats 25.5% 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 Las Cruces?
Las Cruces has a Regional Price Parity of 90.21 (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 $67,653 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.