Chef California
Chef salary in California
Typical pay
$40.38an hour
About $84,000 a year at full time
Most Chefs earn $35.10 to $45.87 an hour
From 134 current job postings, updated Nov 2, 2026 Pay that employers list in their job postings
The median Chef pay in California is $40.38 an hour. Most job postings pay $35.10 to $45.87. From 134 current job postings, updated Nov 2, 2026.
381 open jobs. See them
Typical pay by city in California
Back to the whole USCalifornia
$40.38 typical, most $35.10 to $45.87
| San Diego, CA | $45.67 | $35.16 to $50.38 | 15 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $42.07 | $38.22 to $54.81 | 17 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $40.42 | $35.82 to $48.08 | 65 |
| Bakersfield, CA | – | – | 0 |
| Chico, CA | – | – | 0 |
| Fresno, CA | – | – | 5 |
| Napa, CA | – | – | 2 |
| Oxnard, CA | – | – | 0 |
| Redding, CA | – | – | 1 |
| Riverside, CA | – | – | 9 |
| Sacramento, CA | – | – | 3 |
| Salinas, CA | – | – | 3 |
| San Jose, CA | – | – | 7 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | – | – | 1 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | – | – | 1 |
| Santa Maria, CA | – | – | 1 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | – | – | 6 |
| Stockton, CA | – | – | 1 |
| Vallejo, CA | – | – | 0 |
| Visalia, CA | – | – | 0 |
Pay advertised in current postings, per hour. Postings are those that list pay.
Pay by experience level
What most job postings pay at each stage. The dot is typical pay.
- Starting out 12 job postings$32.21 $37.02
Typical: $34.74
Most new hires start near the low end.
- Experienced 81 job postings$35.06 $45.67
Typical: $39.66
- Senior 8 job postings
Not enough postings yet (we show pay once 10 postings list it)
- Lead or manager 11 job postings$24.50 $55.29
Typical: $48.08
Where would you land?
Pick your level to see what most Chef job postings in California pay at it.
Experienced: most postings pay $35.06 to $45.67 an hour, typically $39.66.
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Pay by employer and level
Typical hourly pay at the employers with the most postings that list pay. A dash means fewer than 10 of their postings at that level list pay.
Not enough postings yet to show pay by employer here. We list an employer once 10 of its postings list pay.
How much does a Chef make in California?
Employers hiring now typically offer $40.38 an hour for Chef roles in California. These numbers come from the pay employers list in their job postings, so they show what is on offer today rather than what people earned last year. We only show a number when at least 10 postings list pay.
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