Chefs and Head Cooks in the Fairbanks-College Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Chefs and Head Cooks pay in Fairbanks-College, AK at a median of $55,130 per year ($26.50/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 12% below. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 90 chefs and head cooks are employed across the Fairbanks-College MSA in SOC 35-1011.

The Fairbanks-College pay distribution spans from $32,220 at the 10th percentile to $77,360 at the 90th, a 2.4× 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 $40,140 and the 75th at $69,890, so half of Fairbanks-College-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 Fairbanks-College, AK 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 AK estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.