Chefs and Head Cooks Salary in Watertown, NY

BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics • May 2025 • Watertown-Fort Drum, NY

Median annual salary $60,880 -0.2% vs national
Median hourly $29.27
10th percentile $43,810
90th percentile $100,990
Employed locally 60
National median $60,990

Compare Chefs and Head Cooks salary & buying power

Type a city below to see how Watertown, NY stacks up on salary and cost of living.

Full tool →
Chefs and Head Cooks
in
Watertown, NY
vs

    Salary percentile breakdown

    10th
    $43,810
    25th
    $46,870
    50th (median)
    $60,880
    75th
    $71,450
    90th
    $100,990

    Watertown economic context

    Unemployment rate 4.40% 2024 annual avg • BLS LAUS
    Median household income $64,978 2023 • Census ACS
    Chefs and Head Cooks salary vs area income 94% Median Chefs and Head Cooks salary is 6% below the area median household income

    Top-paying metros for Chefs and Head Cooks

    Metro areaMedian salary
    Kahului-Wailuku, HI $87,410
    Morgantown, WV $87,280
    Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area $85,370
    Terre Haute, IN $83,880
    East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area $81,720
    Hawaii $81,200

    Nearby metros — Chefs and Head Cooks salary comparison

    Metro areaMedian salary
    San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $78,050
    New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $66,550
    Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $65,930
    Kingston, NY $64,320
    Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $63,010
    Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY $62,980

    Related occupations in Watertown, NY

    OccupationMedian salary
    Fast Food and Counter Workers $31,800
    Waiters and Waitresses $40,720
    Cooks, Restaurant $36,480
    First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers $38,130
    Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers $33,710
    Bartenders $37,020

    Frequently asked questions

    How much do Chefs and Head Cooks make per hour in Watertown?

    The median hourly wage for Chefs and Head Cooks in Watertown, NY is $29.27, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data. Top earners (90th percentile) make $47.98 or more per hour.

    Is Watertown above or below average for Chefs and Head Cooks salaries?

    The median Chefs and Head Cooks salary in Watertown, NY is 0.2% below the national median of $60,990. The national figure is from BLS OEWS 2025 data covering all US metropolitan areas.

    What is the entry-level salary for Chefs and Head Cooks in Watertown?

    Entry-level Chefs and Head Cooks (10th percentile) earn around $43,810 per year in Watertown, NY. The 25th percentile — typically workers with 1–3 years of experience — earn approximately $46,870.