BLS metro-level wage data places Chefs and Head Cooks pay in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD at a median of $59,290 per year ($28.50/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $62,470, Baltimore-Columbia-Towson pays 5% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 1,740 chefs and head cookss are employed across the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson MSA in SOC 35-1011.

The Baltimore-Columbia-Towson pay distribution spans from $37,760 at the 10th percentile to $93,580 at the 90th — a 2.5× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $44,060 and the 75th at $77,640, so half of Baltimore-Columbia-Towson-based chefs and head cookss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide MD data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.