DOL Filings vs BLS Survey
What Employers File with DOL
This figure comes from 4,259 employer filings with the US Department of Labor under legal obligation. Employers file this salary when sponsoring workers for PERM green cards or H-1B visas.
What BLS Says the Market Pays
This figure comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey of 182,320 establishments. This is an independent survey-based estimate of what all workers in this occupation earn.
Salary Distribution
Top Paying Employers for Chefs and Head Cooks
Ranked by median salary from DOL filingsSalary by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Median | vs National | Filings | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Beach, FL | $70,000 | +41.8% | 19 | 11 |
| Seattle, WA | $64,179 | +30% | 16 | 10 |
| Boston, MA | $63,500 | +28.7% | 17 | 14 |
| New York, NE | $63,170 | +28% | 57 | 54 |
| Washington, DC | $60,000 | +21.6% | 41 | 28 |
| BROOKLYN, NE | $59,571 | +20.7% | 11 | 11 |
| Las Vegas, NE | $57,658 | +16.8% | 11 | 8 |
| Miami, FL | $55,625 | +12.7% | 34 | 27 |
| San Francisco, CA | $54,000 | +9.4% | 53 | 28 |
| Brooklyn, NY | $53,456 | +8.3% | 16 | 15 |
| Mountain View, CA | $52,750 | +6.9% | 10 | 6 |
| San Diego, CA | $52,250 | +5.9% | 19 | 16 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $52,250 | +5.9% | 21 | 9 |
| Orlando, FL | $50,939 | +3.2% | 15 | 13 |
| North Attleboro, MA | $50,918 | +3.2% | 14 | 1 |
| Chicago, IL | $49,774 | +0.8% | 42 | 28 |
| New York, NY | $48,951 | -0.8% | 98 | 67 |
| Portland, OR | $48,006 | -2.7% | 13 | 7 |
| Houston, TX | $44,179 | -10.5% | 23 | 14 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $43,950 | -11% | 49 | 36 |
| Austin, TX | $37,981 | -23% | 10 | 7 |
| Atlanta, GA | $35,360 | -28.4% | 11 | 10 |
Salary by State
| State | Median | vs National | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $62,317 | -10.7% | 38 |
| Nebraska | $60,278 | +3.2% | 138 |
| District of Columbia | $59,609 | -19.5% | 42 |
| Massachusetts | $56,722 | -20.5% | 153 |
| Florida | $56,000 | -6% | 163 |
| Delaware | $54,558 | -16.4% | 1 |
| Hawaii | $53,517 | -34.1% | 4 |
| Nevada | $52,250 | -10.8% | 22 |
| Wyoming | $49,941 | -22.9% | 1 |
| Illinois | $49,637 | -19.2% | 104 |
| New Jersey | $49,451 | -29% | 26 |
| Colorado | $49,250 | -23% | 32 |
| California | $49,088 | -26.5% | 412 |
| New York | $49,000 | -23.8% | 149 |
| Connecticut | $48,847 | -21.9% | 20 |
| Alabama | $48,651 | -22.4% | 13 |
| Minnesota | $48,464 | -18.5% | 12 |
| Oregon | $48,006 | -20.4% | 17 |
| New Hampshire | $47,500 | -18.7% | 3 |
| Arizona | $46,994 | -24.1% | 6 |
| Maryland | $46,540 | -24.9% | 16 |
| Mississippi | $46,033 | +2.3% | 2 |
| Texas | $45,391 | -11.1% | 80 |
| Michigan | $44,970 | -23% | 39 |
| Pennsylvania | $44,866 | -24.8% | 14 |
| Wisconsin | $44,429 | -26.2% | 8 |
| Missouri | $44,180 | -25.4% | 8 |
| North Carolina | $44,067 | -26.3% | 20 |
| West Virginia | $44,044 | -27.6% | 2 |
| Arkansas | $42,984 | -12.4% | 22 |
| Utah | $42,765 | -3.9% | 41 |
| Ohio | $42,401 | -25.2% | 20 |
| Louisiana | $42,037 | +9.6% | 3 |
| Indiana | $41,476 | -27.4% | 18 |
| South Dakota | $40,352 | -13.2% | 1 |
| Rhode Island | $39,894 | -49.6% | 3 |
| Virginia | $39,042 | -34.7% | 34 |
| Oklahoma | $38,230 | -28.3% | 8 |
| Alaska | $38,000 | -34% | 3 |
| Maine | $36,889 | -34% | 10 |
| Iowa | $36,358 | -16.8% | 2 |
| Tennessee | $36,273 | -39% | 12 |
| Georgia | $35,360 | -31.5% | 47 |
| South Carolina | $34,070 | -44.4% | 9 |
| Idaho | $33,946 | -32.1% | 11 |
| Kentucky | $28,000 | -36.7% | 1 |
Salary Trend - DOL Data
Education Requirements
From PERM filingsFor Chefs and Head Cooks positions, 2% of PERM filings required a Bachelor's degree, 0% required a Master's degree, and 94% required no formal degree.
Education by Top Employer
Most common minimum education from PERM filings| Employer | Most Common Education | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Fogo de Chao Holdings inc | None | $52,250 |
| The Dinex Group LLC | Not specified | $50,526 |
| NAAN-N-CURRY LLC | None | $56,451 |
| QUANS ENTERPRISES INC. | None | $50,918 |
| KABUKI RESTAURANTS,INC. | None | $43,950 |
| QUAN'S KITCHEN INC. | None | $56,950 |
| Amber India Corporation | Bachelor's | $71,500 |
| Sai Restaurant Inc | Bachelor's | $42,000 |
| Meditco, Inc DBA Phoenicia Specialty Foods | None | $47,362 |
| Alexanders Steakhouse | Not specified | $45,000 |
Salary by Industry
Same occupation, different industries (NAICS)The highest-paying industry for Chefs and Head Cooks is Manufacturing at $65,175. The lowest-paying industry with significant hiring is Retail Trade at $49,703.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on 4,259 DOL filings, the median salary for a Chefs and Head Cooks is $49,358, ranging from $42,370 to $58,656.
The 90th percentile salary is $96,030 according to BLS data.
Based on DOL filings, Miami Beach, FL offers the highest median at $70,000.
DOL filing data covers positions where the employer filed for PERM green card sponsorship or an H-1B visa. These filings represent a subset of all Chefs and Head Cooks positions. We compare this data against BLS OEWS data which covers all workers in this occupation.
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