H-1B Visa Sponsorship for Chefs and Head Cooks Highly Restricted in FY2025
Explore H-1B visa filings for Chefs and Head Cooks. View sponsoring employers, salary data from 100 filings, and approval rates from DOL public records.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total H-1B Petitions | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 87% |
| Average Salary | $69,302 |
| Salary Range | $35,000 - $150,000 |
| Top Sponsor | Cr North Freeway Management LLC |
| Primary Location | California |
Chefs and Head Cooks is one of the H-1B visa categories with 22 filings and an average salary of $70,956. H-1B visa sponsorship for Chefs and Head Cooks is extremely limited, with only 22 positions available in FY2025. The average salary offered for these roles is $72,000, with a range from $43,680 to $110,000. California is the leading state for H-1B sponsorship in this occupation, accounting for 8 out of the 22 positions.
| Total Filings | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 87% |
| Average Salary | $69,302 |
| Median Salary | $65,000 |
| 25th Percentile | $58,531 |
| 75th Percentile | $80,000 |
| Minimum Salary | $35,000 |
| Maximum Salary | $150,000 |
| 10th Percentile | $45,760 |
| 25th Percentile | $58,531 |
| Median (50th) | $65,000 |
| 75th Percentile | $80,000 |
| 90th Percentile | $95,000 |
| Average | $69,302 |
| Sample Size | 100 |
| Visa Class | Filings |
|---|---|
| H-1B | 61 |
| H-1B1 SINGAPORE | 28 |
| E-3 AUSTRALIAN | 8 |
| H-1B1 CHILE | 3 |
| Education Level | Filings |
|---|---|
| Not Specified | 100 |
| Employer | Filings | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|
| CR NORTH FREEWAY MANAGEMENT LLC | 4 | $72k |
| Aspen Skiing Company | 4 | $86k |
| PREMIER ELDORADO INC | 3 | $60k |
| Charcoal's Hospitality Group, LLC | 3 | $60k |
| La Roche Lebanese Cuisine | 2 | $44k |
| First Virtual Group, Inc. | 2 | $81k |
| Yokai SF LLC | 2 | $66k |
| Kojin SF, LLC | 2 | $80k |
| THE DINEX GROUP LLC | 2 | $77k |
| Rezdora LLC | 2 | $52k |
| State | Filings |
|---|---|
| California | 27 |
| New York | 14 |
| Texas | 13 |
| Florida | 9 |
| Colorado | 6 |
| District of Columbia | 3 |
| Connecticut | 3 |
| Pennsylvania | 3 |
| Tennessee | 2 |
| Washington | 2 |
Focus your H-1B job search on states with higher reported positions, such as California, and ensure your salary expectations align with the median offered, while highlighting specialized culinary skills and experience.
The average H-1B salary for Chefs and Head Cooks is $70,956, with a median of $72,000. The 25th-75th percentile range is $60,000 to $75,000.
Top H-1B sponsors for Chefs and Head Cooks include CR NORTH FREEWAY MANAGEMENT LLC, Rudraaksh LLC, Amber India Foods Inc, Yokai SF LLC, Style Concept Studio. A total of 16 employers have filed for this role.
There are 22 H-1B filings on record for Chefs and Head Cooks positions. 100.0% were certified.
The top states for H-1B Chefs and Head Cooks positions are California (8), Texas (6), District of Columbia (3), Colorado (1), Alaska (1).
Yes, Chefs and Head Cooks is a qualifying occupation for H-1B visa sponsorship. There are 22 approved H-1B petitions for this role in the database.
H-1B Chefs and Head Cooks salaries range from $43,680 to $110,000. The median salary is $72,000.
The approval rate for Chefs and Head Cooks H-1B petitions is 100.0%. The total number of H-1B positions (22) is very low, indicating intense competition.
The median salary ($72,000) is competitive, but the wide salary range suggests significant variation in employer offerings and required experience.
Focus your H-1B job search on states with higher reported positions, such as California, and ensure your salary expectations align with the median offered, while highlighting specialized culinary skills and experience.
The geographic distribution is heavily concentrated, with California being the primary destination for these roles.
The Chefs and Head Cooks occupation (SOC code 35-101100) is classified under the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system maintained by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The SOC system groups workers into occupational categories based on the type of work performed, providing a standardized framework for comparing wages, employment levels, and workforce trends across the United States.
Chefs and Head Cooks positions fall within the specialty occupation category required for H-1B visa sponsorship, meaning they typically require the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and at minimum a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in the specific specialty. Based on H-1B filing data, the most common education requirement for Chefs and Head Cooks positions is Not Specified (100 filings), followed by other degree levels.
Across 100 LCA filings tracked by H1BSalaryCheck, Chefs and Head Cooks positions show an average offered salary of $69,302, with a range from $35,000 at the entry level to $150,000 for senior positions. The largest concentration of H-1B filings for this role is in California (27 filings) and New York (14 filings).
Career outlook for Chefs and Head Cooks professionals is closely tied to industry demand for specialized skills. Employers sponsoring H-1B workers for this role are demonstrating that they could not find sufficient qualified U.S. workers to fill these positions, which often signals strong demand and competitive compensation. Workers in this occupation may also be eligible for other visa categories including L-1 intracompany transfers, O-1 extraordinary ability visas, or employment-based green card sponsorship through the PERM process.
To sponsor a foreign worker for an H-1B visa in a Chefs and Head Cooks role, U.S. employers must satisfy several requirements established by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and enforced by both the Department of Labor (DOL) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS):
The position must qualify as a "specialty occupation," meaning it requires the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and at minimum a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in a specific specialty directly related to the position. For Chefs and Head Cooks roles, H-1B filings indicate that employers most commonly require a Not Specified degree. USCIS evaluates whether the position itself, not just the employer's preference, genuinely requires specialized education.
Employers must pay H-1B workers at least the prevailing wage for the occupation in the geographic area of employment, as determined by the DOL. The prevailing wage is based on four skill levels (Level 1 through Level 4) that reflect the complexity of the job duties and required experience. For Chefs and Head Cooks positions, the average offered salary of $69,302 exceeds prevailing wages by an average of 12.4%, with 76% of filings offering above the prevailing wage.
Before filing the H-1B petition, employers must obtain a certified LCA from the DOL. The LCA requires employers to attest to four conditions: (1) paying at least the prevailing wage or actual wage, whichever is higher; (2) providing working conditions that do not adversely affect similarly employed U.S. workers; (3) no strike or lockout at the worksite; and (4) proper notice of the filing to workers. The overall LCA approval rate for Chefs and Head Cooks positions is 87%.
The annual H-1B cap is set at 65,000 regular visas plus 20,000 for beneficiaries with U.S. master's degrees or higher (the "master's cap"). Certain employers, including institutions of higher education, nonprofit research organizations, and government research organizations, are exempt from the cap. Chefs and Head Cooks positions at cap-exempt employers can be filed at any time during the year, while cap-subject employers must participate in the annual H-1B lottery, typically held in March for the following fiscal year.
H-1B visas are initially granted for up to three years and can be extended for a maximum of six years total. Workers who have an approved I-140 immigrant petition (part of the green card process) may be eligible for extensions beyond the six-year limit under the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act (AC21). The average contract duration for Chefs and Head Cooks H-1B filings is approximately 33 months.
Cities with the most H-1B filings for Chefs and Head Cooks positions.
| City | State | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | California | 14 |
| New York | New York | 8 |
| Katy | Texas | 4 |
| FRISCO | Texas | 4 |
| Aspen | Colorado | 4 |
| Brooklyn | New York | 3 |
| Greenwich | Connecticut | 3 |
| NEW YORK | New York | 2 |
| Memphis | Tennessee | 2 |
| Woodside | California | 2 |