BLS metro-level wage data places Chefs and Head Cooks pay in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC at a median of $66,090 per year ($31.77/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $62,470, Durham-Chapel Hill pays +6% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 270 chefs and head cookss are employed across the Durham-Chapel Hill MSA in SOC 35-1011.

The Durham-Chapel Hill pay distribution spans from $47,440 at the 10th percentile to $93,670 at the 90th — a 2.0× 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 $52,660 and the 75th at $76,760, so half of Durham-Chapel Hill-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 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 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 NC data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.