Chefs and Head Cooks Salary
Chefs and Head Cooks in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC make a median of $71,700 a year, or about $34.47 an hour. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $80K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.64), which stretches that salary to about $76,570 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,465/month, about 31.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $72K get you in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach’s Regional Price Parity (93.64). 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 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach sits well above the national pay line for chefs and head cooks, local pay runs about 15% higher than the U.S. median of $62K. Rent runs $1,465/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.64 (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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chefs and head cooks in metros near Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston-North Charleston | $74K | $74K |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $70K | $75K |
| Columbia | $70K | $75K |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal | $74K | $75K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC
Entry-level chefs and head cooks (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $72K. Top earners bring in $80K or more, a $32K 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 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach numbers change.
Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
Can a chefs and head cook afford a 2BR apartment alone in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $72K, rent takes 31.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,465/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/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 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chefs and head cooks typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,867/month. At HUD’s $1,465/month FMR, rent would take 51% 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 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach?
Local pay is 15% above the national median — $72K here vs. $62K nationally.
How does Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach compare to the national average for chefs and head cooks?
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach pays $72K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s +15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.64), the purchasing-power equivalent is $77K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do chefs and head cooks make in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC?
The median is $71,700 a year, that works out to about $34 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,790, and experienced chefs and head cooks can clear $80,130. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $72K enough to live in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,656/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,465/month, which eats 31.5% 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 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach?
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach has a Regional Price Parity of 93.64 (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 $76,570 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.