Side-by-side distribution
Chef
$54,080
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 25.2%
- Live roles
- 2,092
Event Planner
$72,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 25.7%
- Live roles
- 635
Highest-paying jobs
Chef de Cuisine - Bluebird Restaurant
Chef principal des essais cliniques, IQVIA Biotech/Senior Clinical Trial Manager, IQVIA Biotech
Executive Chef
Chef principal(e) des opérations (quart de nuit)
Executive Sous Chef
Chef d’équipe des données (Data Team Lead)
Executive Chef - Little Beach House Malibu
Executive Chef
Chef de Cuisine, Retail - NYC Sites
Chef d'équipe données senior, Senior Data Team Lead
Highest-paying jobs
Marketing - Senior Manager/Manager, Event Production, Events & Experiences
Field Event Manager, SF
Senior Manager, Programs & Event Design
Senior Event Planner, Global Events & Activations
Sr. Event Marketing Manager, Field Programming
General Manager, Mixed-Use (Class A Office & Event Space)
General Manager - Live Event & Hospitality Venue
Marketing Campaign and Event Manager
Business Development Manager, Event Commerce (Remote - US)
Event Marketing Manager
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
DIG INN Chefs-In-Training
|
$36,400 | 65 |
Bupa
|
$41,218 | 37 |
|
Soho House & Co.
|
$46,470 | 34 |
JOEY Restaurants
|
$54,250 | 32 |
Pyramid Global Hospitality
|
$77,750 | 30 |
|
Four Seasons
|
$84,105 | 25 |
NEXDINE Hospitality
|
$70,000 | 21 |
DIG INN Restaurant Teams
|
$82,500 | 17 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Fogo de Chão
|
$54,080 | 8 |
Dave & Buster's
|
$28,210 | 8 |
First Global Management Services, Inc.
|
$81,330 | 7 |
|
Pyramid Global Hospitality
|
$63,750 | 6 |
American Express Global Business Travel
|
$79,000 | 4 |
Michaels
|
$31,720 | 4 |
|
Exa
|
$167,500 | 3 |
| L( LA28 (Web) | $143,000 | 3 |
Chef salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $87,500 | 6 |
| San Francisco | $76,250 | 4 |
| Denver | $76,250 | 4 |
| Seattle | $75,000 | 3 |
| Austin | $75,000 | 3 |
| Chicago | $73,250 | 8 |
| Atlanta | $72,500 | 4 |
| Toronto | $62,500 | 22 |
| London | $45,564 | 24 |
| New York | $40,560 | 55 |
Event Planner salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $150,000 | 7 |
| Los Angeles | $132,750 | 8 |
| Denver | $114,700 | 3 |
| Chicago | $112,500 | 3 |
| New York | $102,500 | 27 |
| Boston | $72,500 | 5 |
Chef vs Event Planner: which pays more?
The median for Chef is $54,080 per year (typically $41,218–$75,000), versus $72,500 for Event Planner ($53,040–$112,500). That puts Event Planner about 34% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Chef and Event Planner 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.