SOC 35-1011 · Abilene, TX metro

Chefs and Head Cooks Salary in Abilene, TX

The average salary for chefs and head cooks in Abilene, Texas is $50,880 a year ($24.46 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $47,840: half of the 60 people in this job in the Abilene, TX metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 24% less than the U.S. average for this job ($66,700).

$50,880average per year

$24.46 / hourMedian $47,840Take-home ≈ $43,062

  • $29K10th
  • $36K25th
  • $48KMedian
  • $64K75th
  • $75K90th

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

60people in this job
-24%vs U.S. average
#16 of 23Texas metros
90cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Chefs and Head Cooks pay range in Abilene

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,860 a year or less, while the top 10% make $74,880 or more. The middle half of chefs and head cooks in Abilene earn between $35,540 and $63,560.

  • $29K10th
  • $36K25th
  • $48KMedian
  • $64K75th
  • $75K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$50,880$4,240$24.46
Median$47,840$3,987$23.00
Entry level (25th percentile)$35,540$2,962$17.09
Experienced (75th percentile)$63,560$5,297$30.56

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

Chefs and Head Cooks pay in Abilene vs. Texas and the U.S.

Chefs and head cooks in Abilene earn 14% less than the Texas average ($59,350) and 24% less than the U.S. average ($66,700). At the median the gap is -23% against the U.S. median of $62,470.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Abilene$50,880$47,840$28,860$74,88060
Texas$59,350$56,080$31,380$92,29013,270
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 Abilene

On the average salary of $50,880, a single filer in Abilene takes home about $43,062 a year, or $3,589 a month and $1,656 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

Texas paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Abilene area are 10% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 90.4), so the average $50,880 buys what about $56,306 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Abilene ($44,340). A typical home costs $217,009, or 4.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $50,880 is worth in another city

Chefs and Head Cooks salary in other Texas cities

Abilene ranks 16th of 23 Texas metro areas for this job; Austin pays the most ($68,120).

All Chefs and Head Cooks salaries in Texas

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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Reviewed before it counts. Chefs and Head Cooks in Abilene, TX.

Chefs and Head Cooks salary in Abilene: questions

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

$24.46 an hour on average, and $23.00 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,860 a year and the 25th percentile is $35,540, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $43,062 a year ($3,589 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $50,880. Texas has no state income tax.

Do chefs and head cooks earn more in Abilene than elsewhere?

The average here is 24% 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 Abilene, TX (10180). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.9%.
  • 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 no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.59, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.59).

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