Chefs and Head Cooks Salary
Chefs and Head Cooks in Walla Walla, WA make a median of $68,120 a year, or about $32.75 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $75K for experienced workers.
So what does $68K get you in Walla Walla?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Walla Walla’s Regional Price Parity (98.5). 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 Walla Walla
Chefs and head cooks pay in Walla Walla tracks closely to the national median, $68K locally vs. $62K nationwide, a 9% difference. Rent runs $1,550/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 98.5) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. 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 Walla Walla, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $80K | , |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley | $72K | , |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater | $72K | , |
| Bellingham | $70K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Walla Walla, WA
Entry-level chefs and head cooks (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $68K. Top earners bring in $75K or more, a $29K 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 Walla Walla numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a chefs and head cook afford a 2BR apartment alone in Walla Walla?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $68K, rent takes 33% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,550/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 Walla Walla?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chefs and head cooks typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,749/month. At HUD’s $1,550/month FMR, rent would take 56% 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 Walla Walla?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $68K locally vs. $62K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Walla Walla compare to the national average for chefs and head cooks?
Walla Walla pays $68K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s +9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.5), the purchasing-power equivalent is $69K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do chefs and head cooks make in Walla Walla, WA?
The median is $68,120 a year, that works out to about $33 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,820, and experienced chefs and head cooks can clear $75,310. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $68K enough to live in Walla Walla?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,692/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,550/month, which eats 33% 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 Walla Walla?
Walla Walla 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 $69,157 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.