Chef salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a chef is $74,000 per annum, before tax, up $15,600 since 2018.
What a chef takes home depends on the venue and the award or enterprise agreement it uses, with penalty rates for nights, weekends and public holidays lifting the base rate. Hatted restaurants, hotels and large catering operations generally pay above the award, and moving up to sous chef or head chef brings more responsibility and more money. Smaller owner-operated venues often pay closer to the award rate.
Roles that pay more than chef
The largest typical pay rise is $11,500 a year, moving into Restaurant Manager.
- Restaurant Manager+$11,500/yr
- Cafe Manager+$11,500/yr
- Cook+$500/yr
How to negotiate a higher chef salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time chef salary is $74,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Food preparation and cooking and Food safety and hygiene tend to command a premium over general chef experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Restaurant Manager pays a typical $11,500 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Chef salary questions
How much do chefs earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a chef is $74,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is chef pay rising or falling?
The median chef salary is up $15,600 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than chef?
Restaurant Manager pays a typical $11,500 a year more and draws on similar skills to chef.