Head chef salary: year, week, and hour
If you are looking at a head chef salary, you probably want to know how it stacks up against the national full-time average. The short answer is that there is no single published figure for a head chef salary from the ABS, Fair Work, or the ATO. But we can use the available data to give you a clear picture of where this role typically sits.
The national benchmark
The Australian Bureau of Statistics publishes Average Weekly Earnings twice a year. For May 2026, the national full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings were $2,083.70. Multiply by 52 weeks and you get about $108,352 per year. That is the line on this site. Every salary you place on the line is compared to that figure.
For context, the full-time median salary is lower: about $90,532 per year (ABS Employee Earnings, August 2025). The all-employees median (including part-time and casual) is about $74,100. The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week, or $52,255 per year for a 38-hour week.
What the award says
The Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 [MA000009] covers most cooks and chefs in hotels, restaurants, and catering. It does not have a classification called 'head chef'. The highest cook grade is Level 6 (Cook grade 5), with a minimum weekly rate of $1,221.10 and an hourly rate of $32.13. That works out to about $63,497 per year. There is also a Managerial Staff (Hotels) classification with a minimum annual salary of $63,617.
These are minimums. Many head chefs are employed above the award, especially in fine dining, large venues, or hotels. The award rates give you a floor, not a ceiling.
How to read a head chef salary
When you see a head chef salary advertised, you can convert it to weekly and hourly figures using a 38-hour week. For example, a salary of $90,000 per year is about $1,730.77 per week and $45.55 per hour. That is below the national full-time average of $108,352 but above the full-time median of $90,532. A salary of $120,000 per year is about $2,307.69 per week and $60.73 per hour, which is above the national average.
State differences
Head chef pay can vary by location. The ABS state full-time averages for May 2026 are:
- New South Wales: $109,658
- Victoria: $106,137
- Queensland: $106,064
- South Australia: $102,450
- Western Australia: $115,825
- Tasmania: $96,008
- Northern Territory: $103,173
- Australian Capital Territory: $119,090
A head chef in Western Australia or the ACT might expect higher pay to match the higher state average. You can explore states and territories for more detail.
Medians by occupation
The ABS publishes median earnings for occupations, but the data is from August 2025 and is for all employees (full-time, part-time, casual). For chefs and cooks, the median is not broken out separately for head chefs. The broad category 'Chefs' had a median of about $60,000 to $70,000 depending on the source, but that includes all levels. A head chef would typically be at the top end. See job medians for more.
Tax on a head chef salary
For the 2026–27 income year, the ATO tax rates are:
- Nil on the first $18,200
- 15% on income from $18,201 to $45,000
- 30% on income from $45,001 to $135,000
- 37% on income from $135,001 to $190,000
- 45% on income above $190,000
Plus the Medicare levy of 2% (with possible reductions for low incomes). A head chef earning $90,000 would pay about $20,667 in tax plus $1,800 Medicare levy, leaving about $67,533 after tax. At $120,000, tax and Medicare would be about $31,267, leaving $88,733.
Where to find more
If you have a specific head chef salary offer, you can place it on the line to see how it compares to the national average, the median, and the minimum wage. For more on how these figures are set, see how the figures are set.
Summary
A head chef salary is not published as a single figure by any official source. The best you can do is compare to the national full-time average of $108,352, the full-time median of $90,532, and the award minimums that top out around $63,500. Most head chefs earn somewhere between the median and the average, with top-end roles exceeding the national average significantly.