The Salary of an Executive Restaurant Chef

The executive chef is responsible for all restaurant operations.

The executive chef is responsible for the overall operation of the kitchen. This includes designing recipes, ordering supplies, planning and pricing menus and directing kitchen operations. The executive chef may not do much cooking herself, but she coordinates the work of all the kitchen staff. Salaries for executive chefs vary widely, depending on the type of restaurant, the experience of the chef and the location of the restaurant.

Top Pay

According to the Culinary Schools website, the highest paid executive chefs are those who have become celebrities -- such as chefs with shows on the Cooking Channel. These chefs can earn upwards of $1 million a year, depending on the number of product tie-ins and cook books they sell. The White House executive chef, on the other hand, earned between $80,000 and $100,000 a year in 2006, according to a report by ABC News Nightline.

Average Salary

For executive chefs who are not celebrities, top salaries go to those who work in private clubs or high-end restaurants, or who own high-end restaurants. According to Star Chefs, a chef-owner could expect to earn an average of $85,685 per year, as of 2009, while executive chefs in private clubs earned an average of $91,860. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports the median annual wage for head chefs as $40,630, as of 2010, with those in the 90th percentile earning at least $70,960.

Salary by Region

According to Star Chefs, executive chefs in New York state had the highest salaries in 2009, averaging $91,356 per year. Those in California came next, at $88,195. However, the highest average salaries overall in 2009 were earned by executive chefs in New York City, who earned an average of $101,500, and those in Miami, who earned an average of $101,400. Chefs in San Francisco were third, with average salaries of $101,300. The BLS put the average salary for head chefs in New York City at $79,820.

Salary by Experience

The type of training and amount of experience can have an impact on the salary of an executive chef. Star Chefs found that the average salary of an executive chef with two to four years experience was $51,500 as of 2009, and $89,863 for an executive chef with 21 to 25 years experience. However, chefs with 26 to 30 years experience only earned an average of $80,888 per year. Executive chefs with sommelier certification tended to earn more than those with a pastry certification, with an average yearly salary of $76,600, compared to $59,700. Gender may also affect earnings. According to Star Chefs, male executive chefs earned an average of $80,800 in 2009, while female executive chefs earned as average of just $65,400.

References

• United States Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition: Chefs, Head Cooks, and Food Preparation and Serving Supervisors
• United States Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2010: Chefs and Head Cooks
• Star Chefs: Salary Survey; Emily Bell with Katherine Martinelli; 2010
• Culinary Schools: How Much Money Can You Earn as a Chef?
• ABC News Nightline: Former White House Chef Dishes on Presidential Families; Jake Tapper; 2006