Chefs and Head Cooks pay in Illinois
$62,810avg. a year
$30.20 an hour · 8,290 employed
Chefs and Head Cooks in Illinois earn an average of $62,810 a year. That is $3,890 (6%) less than the U.S. average of $66,700. The best-paying metro area is St. Louis, MO-IL at $66,800.
$58,830Median pay
$30.20Average hourly
+4%Avg. pay since 2020
#32Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying Illinois metro areas
Average pay for chefs and head cooks by metro area. Swipe to see all 10.
11,030 jobs
St. Louis, MO-IL
$66,800
$32.12 an hour
26,840 jobs
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$64,510
$31.02 an hour
3100 jobs
Bloomington, IL
$57,290
$27.54 an hour
4190 jobs
Peoria, IL
$56,750
$27.28 an hour
5100 jobs
Springfield, IL
$56,190
$27.01 an hour
6130 jobs
Rockford, IL
$53,670
$25.80 an hour
7130 jobs
Champaign-Urbana, IL
$53,240
$25.60 an hour
8180 jobs
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
$53,090
$25.52 an hour
940 jobs
Kankakee, IL
$51,650
$24.83 an hour
1040 jobs
Paducah, KY-IL
$49,810
$23.95 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Chefs and Head Cooks pay in Illinois, charted
Pay over time
Illinois, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where Illinois chefs and head cooks work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · Illinois highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $60k$60k–$66k$66k–$70k$70k+Illinois
Illinois vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $66,700 | $32.07 |
| Illinois | $62,810 | $30.20 |
| Missouri | $66,640 | $32.04 |
| Wisconsin | $64,210 | $30.87 |
| Kentucky | $55,770 | $26.81 |
| Indiana | $55,060 | $26.47 |
| Iowa | $52,840 | $25.40 |
Related jobs in Illinois
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$45,710
- Fast Food and Counter Workers$34,280
- Waiters and Waitresses$35,610
- Cooks, Restaurant$39,520
- Food Preparation Workers$36,260
- Bartenders$35,550
Average pay, Illinois, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do chefs and head cooks make in Illinois?
The average is $62,810 a year, and the median is $58,830. That is $3,890 (6%) less than the U.S. average of $66,700.
What is the hourly wage in Illinois?
$30.20 an hour on average; the median is $28.29.
Where in Illinois do they earn the most?
St. Louis, MO-IL ($66,800), followed by Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN ($64,510). The lowest average among 10 metro areas with data is Paducah, KY-IL ($49,810).
How does Illinois rank?
Illinois ranks #32 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 35-1011. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national chefs and head cooks page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.