Chefs and Head Cooks Salary
Chefs and Head Cooks in Ponce, PR make a median of $30,800 a year, or about $14.81 an hour. The range runs from $23K at the entry level to $51K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100), that's roughly $30,800 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $538/month, or 25.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $31K get you in Ponce?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Ponce’s Regional Price Parity (100). 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 Ponce
Pay for chefs and head cooks in Ponce runs about 51% below the U.S. median of $62K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $538/month, 24.1% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 100) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Lower pay, lower costs, Ponce can be a reasonable trade-off for chefs and head cookss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chefs and head cooks in metros near Ponce, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas | $36K | $36K |
| Aguadilla | $31K | $31K |
| Mayaguez | $26K | $26K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Ponce, PR
Entry-level chefs and head cooks (10th percentile) start around $23K. Mid-career wages sit at $31K. Top earners bring in $51K or more, a $28K 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
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Frequently asked questions
Can a chefs and head cook afford a 2BR apartment alone in Ponce?
Yes — at the median salary of $31K, rent takes 24.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $538/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chefs and head cooks in Ponce?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chefs and head cooks typically earn — is $23K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,371/month. At HUD’s $538/month FMR, rent would take 39% 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 Ponce?
Local pay runs 51% below the national median — $31K here vs. $62K nationally.
How does Ponce compare to the national average for chefs and head cooks?
Ponce pays $31K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s -51%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100), the purchasing-power equivalent is $31K — below the national median.
How much do chefs and head cooks make in Ponce, PR?
The median is $30,800 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $22,850, and experienced chefs and head cooks can clear $50,510. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $31K enough to live in Ponce?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,232/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $538/month, which eats 24.1% 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 Ponce?
Ponce 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 $30,800 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.