BLS metro-level wage data places Chefs and Head Cooks pay in Fargo, ND-MN at a median of $54,390 per year ($26.15/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $62,470, Fargo pays 13% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 40 chefs and head cookss are employed across the Fargo MSA in SOC 35-1011.

The Fargo pay distribution spans from $42,010 at the 10th percentile to $85,190 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 $48,240 and the 75th at $77,930, so half of Fargo-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 Fargo, ND-MN 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 ND data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.