Chefs and Head Cooks Salary
Chefs and Head Cooks in Puerto Rico make a median of $30,800 a year, or about $14.81 an hour. The range runs from $24K at the entry level to $69K for experienced workers.
Where the paycheck goes
What $31K actually covers in Puerto Rico, month by month
About chefs and head cooks
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Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Puerto Rico
Entry-level chefs and head cooks (10th percentile) start around $24K. Mid-career wages sit at $31K. Top earners bring in $69K or more, a $45K 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 annually. We'll email you when Puerto Rico numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a chefs and head cook afford a 2BR apartment alone in Puerto Rico?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $31K, rent takes 59.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,337/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/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 Puerto Rico?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chefs and head cooks typically earn — is $24K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,754/month.
Is chefs and head cook a high-paying job in Puerto Rico?
Local pay runs 51% below the national median — $31K here vs. $62K nationally.
How does Puerto Rico compare to the national average for chefs and head cooks?
Puerto Rico pays $31K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s -51%.
How much do chefs and head cooks make in Puerto Rico?
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 $23,730, and experienced chefs and head cooks can clear $68,580. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $31K enough to live in Puerto Rico?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,232/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,337/month, which eats 59.9% 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 Puerto Rico?
Puerto Rico 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.