Side-by-side distribution
Chef
$45,607
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 27.6%
- Live roles
- 722
Cook
$36,400
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 47%
- Live roles
- 502
Highest-paying jobs
Sous Chef
Sous Chef
Assistant Pastry Chef
Executive Chef
Seasonal Sous Chef - The Maple Leaf
Executive Chef - Soho House Chicago
Executive Chef
Chef de Produit Numérique (H/F)
Chef du Marketing (H/F)
Chef de projet Équipe de reporting et de visualisation des données
Highest-paying jobs
Cook 2026
Assistant Cook 2026
Line Cook/Assistant Sous Chef
Line Cook - Banff Park Ranch - Staff Housing Available
Sushi Cook, Sensei by Nobu | Start on August 27, 2026
Line Cook - The Bison Restaurant + Terrace - Staff Housing Available
Black Wolf Bistro Cook - NOC 65201
Line Cook - Chuck's Steakhouse - Staff Housing Available
Line Cook - The Maple Leaf - Staff Housing Available
Line Cook - Bluebird Restaurant - Staff Housing Available
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
DIG INN Chefs-In-Training
|
$36,920 | 70 |
JOEY Restaurants
|
$52,000 | 31 |
DIG INN Restaurant Teams
|
$82,500 | 15 |
LOCAL Public Eatery
|
$57,500 | 15 |
|
Soho House & Co.
|
$80,000 | 6 |
Company Shop Group
|
$38,706 | 5 |
Hind Management
|
$63,211 | 4 |
Kimpton Seafire Resort & Spa | Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman
|
$29,120 | 4 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
DIG INN Chefs-In-Training
|
$36,400 | 101 |
|
JOEY Restaurants
|
$43,810 | 20 |
|
Banff Hospitality Collective
|
$65,520 | 16 |
Middlebury College
|
$43,696 | 10 |
|
LOCAL Public Eatery
|
$42,770 | 10 |
|
Kimpton Seafire Resort & Spa | Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman
|
$22,880 | 7 |
Ocean Casino Resort
|
$51,168 | 5 |
Otterbein SeniorLife
|
$5,250 | 5 |
Chef vs Cook: which pays more?
The median for Chef is $45,607 per year (typically $38,264–$65,520), versus $36,400 for Cook ($36,400–$44,720). That puts Chef about 25% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Chef and Cook are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.