BLS metro-level wage data places Chefs and Head Cooks pay in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY at a median of $74,290 per year ($35.72/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $62,470, Buffalo-Cheektowaga pays +19% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 640 chefs and head cookss are employed across the Buffalo-Cheektowaga MSA in SOC 35-1011.

The Buffalo-Cheektowaga pay distribution spans from $48,500 at the 10th percentile to $103,510 at the 90th — a 2.1× 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 $59,010 and the 75th at $92,080, so half of Buffalo-Cheektowaga-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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY 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 NY data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.