Chefs and Head Cooks vs Cooks, Private Household: $62K vs $48K Median Pay

Chefs and Head Cooks vs Cooks, Private Household: what changes?

Consider Chefs and Head Cooks if you want to direct and may participate in the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups, fish, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods. Consider Cooks, Private Household if you would rather prepare meals in private homes. Entry credentials differ: Chefs and Head Cooks, high school diploma or equivalent; Cooks, Private Household, postsecondary nondegree award. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for Chefs and Head Cooks (5 years or more) and Cooks, Private Household (less than 5 years).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Chefs and Head Cooks and Cooks, Private Household. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Chefs and Head Cooks

National median pay (2025): $62,470
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: 5 years or more
Prior related experience: Prior related experience: 5 years or more.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Monitor sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 25,200

Know before you choose

BLS lists 5 years or more of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full Chefs and Head Cooks brief

Cooks, Private Household

National median pay (2025): $47,940
Route into the job: Postsecondary nondegree award; Prior related experience: less than 5 years
Prior related experience: Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Peel, wash, trim, and cook vegetables and meats, and bake breads and pastries.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 5,000

Know before you choose

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full Cooks, Private Household brief

How the national numbers differ

Chefs and Head Cooks has the edge on annual openings

Chefs and Head Cooks is at 25,200 annual openings, compared with 5,000 annual openings for Cooks, Private Household.

Chefs and Head Cooks has the edge on median pay

Chefs and Head Cooks is at $62,470, compared with $47,940 for Cooks, Private Household.

Chefs and Head Cooks has the edge on projected growth

Chefs and Head Cooks is at 6.6% projected growth, compared with 5.1% projected growth for Cooks, Private Household.

67.9/ 100

Chefs and Head Cooks

48.6/ 100

Cooks, Private Household

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Chefs and Head Cooks vs Cooks, Private Household

Dimension	Chefs and Head Cooks	Cooks, Private Household
Median pay (2025)	$62,470	$47,940
Pay percentile	52.2 percentile	26.4 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	6.6%	5.1%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	25,200	5,000
2025 employment	220,300	35,400
How you qualify	High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: 5 years or more	Postsecondary nondegree award; Prior related experience: less than 5 years
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 3	Job Zone 3
Related work experience	Prior related experience: 5 years or more.	Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Chefs and Head Cooks brief Read Cooks, Private Household brief

Chefs and Head Cooks vs Cooks, Private Household: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Chefs and Head Cooks

Cooks, Private Household

How the national numbers differ

Chefs and Head Cooks has the edge on annual openings

Chefs and Head Cooks has the edge on median pay

Chefs and Head Cooks has the edge on projected growth

Chefs and Head Cooks vs Cooks, Private Household

Try another comparison

Chefs and Head Cooks vs First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers

Cooks, Private Household vs First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers

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