Chefs/Cooks Salary Guide Australia 2026
Based on 1,450 job listings • trending_up Up 21% this month
Median Salary (per year)
A$78,000
trending_flat No change this month
25th Percentile (per year)
A$67,500
trending_flat No change this month
75th Percentile (per year)
A$82,500
trending_flat No change this month
The middle 50% of earners fall between A$67,500 and A$82,500 per year, a 19% spread around the median.
Among listings with published salaries, Chefs/Cooks volume has grown by 21% month-on-month. Leading employers include Compass Group, Catering Industries and BlueCare, with 44 open positions between them.
See how Chefs/Cooks compares to other industries on the industry comparison page.
Salary Distribution
See how Chefs/Cooks salaries are distributed across different pay bands in Australia.
Under A$60,000
169 jobs (12%)
A$60,000 – A$80,000
642 jobs (44%)
A$80,000 – A$100,000
546 jobs (38%)
A$100,000 – A$120,000
75 jobs (5%)
A$120,000 – A$140,000
10 jobs (1%)
A$140,000 – A$160,000
5 jobs (<1%)
A$160,000 – A$180,000
1 job (<1%)
A$180,000 – A$200,000
1 job (<1%)
A$200,000 – A$250,000
0 jobs (0%)
A$250,000+
1 job (<1%)
Salaries by City
Compare Chefs/Cooks salaries across major cities in Australia.
Sydney
Median: A$78,500 | Range: A$66,000 - A$82,500
395 jobs (27%)
Melbourne
Median: A$77,500 | Range: A$66,000 - A$82,000
351 jobs (24%)
Brisbane
Median: A$77,500 | Range: A$67,760 - A$82,500
351 jobs (24%)
Perth
Median: A$80,000 | Range: A$72,500 - A$85,000
173 jobs (12%)
Adelaide
Median: A$80,000 | Range: A$73,920 - A$82,500
113 jobs (8%)
Canberra
Median: A$76,250 | Range: A$68,891 - A$82,775
32 jobs (2%)
Hobart
Median: A$77,500 | Range: A$68,750 - A$82,980
19 jobs (1%)
Darwin
Median: A$68,200 | Range: A$61,600 - A$82,009
16 jobs (1%)
Employment Types
Breakdown of Chefs/Cooks positions by employment type.
Full-time
1047 jobs (72%)
Casual
254 jobs (18%)
Part-time
118 jobs (8%)
Contract
31 jobs (2%)
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Top Employers
Companies hiring the most Chefs/Cooks professionals.
Compass Group
C
Compass Group
22 open positions
Catering Industries
C
Catering Industries
11 open positions
BlueCare
B
BlueCare
11 open positions
ALH Recruitment
A
ALH Recruitment
9 open positions
Sidekicker
S
Sidekicker
9 open positions
Goodstart Early Learning
G
Goodstart Early Learning
7 open positions
Cater Care
C
Cater Care
7 open positions
Rydges Hotels & Resorts
R
Rydges Hotels & Resorts
6 open positions
Civeo
C
Civeo
6 open positions
Sodexo
S
Sodexo
6 open positions
Chandler Macleod
C
Chandler Macleod
6 open positions
Nicks Restaurant & Bar Group
N
Nicks Restaurant & Bar Group
5 open positions
Busy Bees
B
Busy Bees
5 open positions
JRM Hospitality
J
JRM Hospitality
4 open positions
SSP Australia
S
SSP Australia
4 open positions
Crewe Sharp SEQ
C
Crewe Sharp SEQ
4 open positions
Gate Gourmet
G
Gate Gourmet
3 open positions
Optura
O
Optura
3 open positions
Accor
A
Accor
3 open positions
The Pancake Parlour
T
The Pancake Parlour
3 open positions
About this data
- Based on 1,450 listings with advertised salaries.
- Salaries normalised to annual equivalents.
- Median represents the 50th percentile of advertised pay.
- Data refreshed daily from active job listings.