Chefs and Head Cooks Salary
Chefs and Head Cooks in Texas make a median of $56,080 a year, or about $26.96 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $92K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.49), which stretches that salary to about $61,296 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,415/month, about 36.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Texas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $56K get you in Texas?
About chefs and head cooks
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What this looks like in Texas
Chefs and head cooks pay in Texas tracks closely to the national median, $56K locally vs. $62K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,415/month, which is 36.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Texas
Entry-level chefs and head cooks (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $56K. Top earners bring in $92K or more, a $61K spread from bottom to top.
Chefs and Head Cooks salary by metro in Texas
23 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $64K | +14% | 3,550 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $62K | +11% | 1,710 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | $58K | +4% | 120 |
| Midland | $58K | +4% | 100 |
| College Station-Bryan | $58K | +3% | 170 |
| Lubbock | $57K | +2% | 100 |
| Killeen-Temple | $53K | -5% | 110 |
| Tyler | $52K | -7% | 90 |
| Texarkana | $50K | -10% | 50 |
| San Angelo | $50K | -11% | 50 |
| Odessa | $50K | -11% | 70 |
| Laredo | $50K | -11% | 60 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $49K | -13% | 1,260 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | $48K | -15% | 120 |
| Abilene | $48K | -15% | 60 |
| Longview | $47K | -16% | 90 |
| Corpus Christi | $46K | -18% | 150 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $45K | -19% | 3,610 |
| Amarillo | $45K | -19% | 80 |
| El Paso | $43K | -23% | 320 |
| Sherman-Denison | $43K | -23% | 40 |
| Waco | $43K | -24% | 110 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | $39K | -30% | 230 |
Showing 1–10 of 23 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Texas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a chefs and head cook afford a 2BR apartment alone in Texas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $56K, rent takes 36.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 Texas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chefs and head cooks typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,883/month. At HUD’s $1,415/month FMR, rent would take 75% 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 Texas?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $56K locally vs. $62K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Texas compare to the national average for chefs and head cooks?
Texas pays $56K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $61K — below the national median.
How much do chefs and head cooks make in Texas?
The median is $56,080 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,380, and experienced chefs and head cooks can clear $92,290. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $56K enough to live in Texas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,925/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 36.1% 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 Texas?
Texas has a Regional Price Parity of 91.49 (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 $61,296 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.