Chefs and Head Cooks in the Augusta-Richmond County Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Chefs and Head Cooks pay in Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC at a median of $68,070 per year ($32.72/hr), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared with the national median of $62,470, the metro estimate is +9% above. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 230 chefs and head cooks are employed across the Augusta-Richmond County MSA in SOC 35-1011.

The Augusta-Richmond County pay distribution spans from $42,450 at the 10th percentile to $90,010 at the 90th, a 2.1× observed spread. Differences in specialization, employer, sector, location, credentials, schedule, and experience may all contribute, but OEWS does not isolate their effects. The 25th percentile sits at $51,510 and the 75th at $75,590, so half of Augusta-Richmond County-based chefs and head cooks earn within that middle band.

Metro figures use establishment work location, not worker residence. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. OEWS includes straight-time pay, tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer health and retirement benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, signing bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. The same occupation's national profile, statewide GA estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.