SOC 35-1011 · Idaho Falls, ID metro

Chefs and Head Cooks Salary in Idaho Falls, ID

The average salary for chefs and head cooks in Idaho Falls, Idaho is $53,990 a year ($25.96 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $48,670: half of the 40 people in this job in the Idaho Falls, ID metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 19% less than the U.S. average for this job ($66,700).

$53,990average per year

$25.96 / hourMedian $48,670Take-home ≈ $43,808

  • $30K10th
  • $30K25th
  • $49KMedian
  • $64K75th
  • $70K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

40people in this job
-19%vs U.S. average
#3 of 3Idaho metros
94cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Chefs and Head Cooks pay range in Idaho Falls

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $30,380 a year or less, while the top 10% make $69,570 or more. The middle half of chefs and head cooks in Idaho Falls earn between $30,390 and $63,870.

  • $30K10th
  • $30K25th
  • $49KMedian
  • $64K75th
  • $70K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$53,990$4,499$25.96
Median$48,670$4,056$23.40
Entry level (25th percentile)$30,390$2,532$14.61
Experienced (75th percentile)$63,870$5,322$30.71

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Chefs and Head Cooks pay in Idaho Falls vs. Idaho and the U.S.

Chefs and head cooks in Idaho Falls earn 6% less than the Idaho average ($57,390) and 19% less than the U.S. average ($66,700). At the median the gap is -22% against the U.S. median of $62,470.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Idaho Falls$53,990$48,670$30,380$69,57040
Idaho$57,390$52,000$33,590$83,240550
United States$66,700$62,470$37,900$98,560200,040

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Chefs and Head Cooks salary after taxes in Idaho Falls

On the average salary of $53,990, a single filer in Idaho Falls takes home about $43,808 a year, or $3,651 a month and $1,685 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Idaho's zero bracket uses the latest published amount ($4,811, 2025).

Idaho paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Idaho Falls a good place for chefs and head cooks? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Idaho Falls area are 6% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 94.4), so the average $53,990 buys what about $57,186 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Idaho Falls ($46,800). A typical home costs $413,631, or 7.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $53,990 is worth in another city

Chefs and Head Cooks salary in other Idaho cities

Idaho Falls ranks 3rd of 3 Idaho metro areas for this job; Coeur d'Alene pays the most ($66,680).

All Chefs and Head Cooks salaries in Idaho

Highest-paying cities for chefs and head cooks

Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($91,380).

Chefs and Head Cooks salary by city

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Chefs and Head Cooks salary in Idaho Falls: questions

How much do chefs and head cooks make an hour in Idaho Falls?

$25.96 an hour on average, and $23.40 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level chefs and head cooks salary in Idaho Falls?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $30,380 a year and the 25th percentile is $30,390, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the chefs and head cooks take-home pay in Idaho Falls?

About $43,808 a year ($3,651 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $53,990. Idaho's zero bracket uses the latest published amount ($4,811, 2025).

Do chefs and head cooks earn more in Idaho Falls than elsewhere?

The average here is 19% less than the U.S. average for this job ($66,700).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-1011; area Idaho Falls, ID (26820). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 11.6%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Idaho's zero bracket uses the latest published amount ($4,811, 2025).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.39, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.39).

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.