How much do sous chefs make in 2026?
Sous chefs are counted in the BLS chefs and head cooks series: OEWS May 2025 puts SOC 35-1011 at a national median of $62,470 a year ($30.03 an hour), with the bottom 10% near $37,900 and the top 10% at $98,560. That series pools sous chefs with head and executive chefs, so an honest reading places most sous chefs between the P25 and the median rather than at or above it — the upper half of the band belongs to the people they report to. The sous chef is the kitchen's operational second: running service on the line, managing the team during shifts, handling ordering and prep planning, covering the head chef's days off and holding standards when the head chef is not there. It is the position where a cook learns whether they actually want to lead a kitchen, and it is where most of the practical management skill is acquired. Operation type moves the number: hotel and resort sous chefs and those in multi-outlet operations are paid better than independent restaurant sous chefs, and banquet-heavy properties add volume experience that is valuable later. The progression from sous to head chef is the single largest pay step in a culinary career. Employment is projected to grow 7.1% through 2034 with roughly 24,400 openings a year. → Full sous chef career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $62,470 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Sous Chefs earn a national median $62,470/yr ($30.03/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 35-1011); the P10 to P90 range is $37,900 to $98,560.
- Most sous chefs sit between the P25 and the median of this series — the upper half of the band belongs to the head and executive chefs they report to.
- The role is where practical kitchen management is learned: running service, managing the team on shift, ordering and prep planning, and covering the head chef.
- Moving from sous chef to head chef is the single largest pay step in a culinary career, which makes the sous years a deliberate apprenticeship in the commercial side.
US Sous Chef Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do sous chefs earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 35-1011; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 35-1011, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a sous chef earn at each career stage?
Sous chef pay follows the size of the brigade and how much of the kitchen runs without the head chef present. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 35-1011.
By State
Which states pay sous chefs the most in 2026?
These are modeled state estimates — the BLS national chef and head cook median scaled by the GlobalCybers state wage index — not BLS state observations, and the series includes the head and executive chefs sous chefs report to. Local kitchen pay follows the dining market's price points and the competition for reliable second chefs.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($71,840), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
sous chef pay by state — all 1 state guide
By Metro
Which cities pay sous chefs the most?
Modeled metro estimates: the national median scaled by the state wage index and then by that state's published metro index. They estimate local wage levels and are not BLS metropolitan-area observations. Hotel and resort concentrations offer the better-paid sous positions.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a sous chef’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does sous chef pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Sous Chefs sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify sous chef wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a sous chef actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Sous Chef Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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