Prevailing Wage for Cooks, Private Household
Prevailing wage for Cooks, Private Household (SOC 35-2013) sets the minimum a U.S. employer can pay a sponsored worker in this occupation. Whether the role is titled Personal Chef, Private Chef, or Certified Personal Chef (CPC), DOL sets four experience-based wage levels, and the floor shifts significantly by city.
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Level 1 covers entry-level personal chefs with limited professional experience, typically under two years, working under direct supervision in a private household. Duties are routine, with minimal independent menu planning or client management expected.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for Cooks, Private Household. It applies to candidates with practical experience managing household meal preparation independently, adapting menus to dietary requirements, and working with moderate autonomy in a private setting.
Level 3 applies to experienced private household cooks who exercise significant independent judgment, manage complex dietary or entertaining demands, and may oversee food procurement. Candidates typically bring several years of continuous private-service experience.
Level 4 is reserved for fully competent private chefs with comprehensive expertise, often managing multiple households or staff, directing all culinary operations, and demonstrating mastery of specialized cuisine or nutritional protocols with minimal oversight.
Prevailing Wage for Cooks, Private Household by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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Confirm your title matches SOC 35-2013
Job postings for personal chefs sometimes use titles like 'household cook' or 'estate chef' that employers may inadvertently file under a food-service SOC. Confirm your LCA cites SOC 35-2013 so the prevailing wage floor applies to private household work, not a restaurant classification.
Expect most offers at Level 2
Private household employers most often sponsor at Level 2, reflecting candidates who work independently without kitchen staff. If you have fewer than two years of private-service experience, a Level 1 filing may be appropriate; more senior estate roles can justify Level 3.
Watch for live-in compensation that inflates paper pay
Some private household positions bundle lodging or meals into the compensation package. DOL prevailing wage compliance requires cash wages to meet the floor independently; non-cash benefits do not count toward satisfying the required wage on the LCA.
Use Migrate Mate to find household chef sponsors
Private household sponsorship is rare and concentrated among a small set of repeat sponsors. Migrate Mate shows which employers have sponsored personal chef and private household cook roles before, helping you target outreach toward households with an established H-1B or green card filing history.
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Find Jobs for Cooks, Private HouseholdPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 35-2013.00 alongside Cooks, Private Household, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Certified Personal Chef (CPC) Prevailing Wage
Certified Personal Chef (CPC) Prevailing Wage
Certified Personal Chef (CPC) positions fall under SOC 35-2013.00 (Cooks, Private Household). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Personal Chef Prevailing Wage
Personal Chef Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Personal Chef for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 35-2013.00 (Cooks, Private Household). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Personal Private Chef Prevailing Wage
Personal Private Chef Prevailing Wage
Personal Private Chef is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 35-2013.00 (Cooks, Private Household). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Private Chef Prevailing Wage
Private Chef Prevailing Wage
Private Chef positions fall under SOC 35-2013.00 (Cooks, Private Household). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Cooks, Private Household?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For SOC 35-2013, DOL converts the BLS survey percentiles into four wage levels. Employers filing an LCA for a sponsored personal chef must pay at least the DOL-published level for the worksite location and assigned experience level.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
The four levels reflect increasing independence and skill: Level 1 is entry with close supervision, Level 2 is qualified with routine autonomy, Level 3 is experienced with independent judgment, and Level 4 is fully competent with comprehensive mastery. Your level should match the actual duties and supervision described in the job offer, not just your years of experience. If the LCA level understates your role, the employer may need to refile at a higher level.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same personal chef role vary so much city to city?
DOL derives wages from regional OES surveys, so the floor reflects local labor market conditions in the metropolitan statistical area where you will actually work. The LCA must list the specific worksite location, and the wage floor applies to that area, not a national average. Dense urban markets with high costs of living generally produce higher prevailing wage floors than rural or lower-cost areas.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
USCIS will not approve an H-1B or green card petition if the employer's LCA shows a wage below the DOL prevailing wage for the worksite and level. The employer must either increase the offered salary to meet the floor or refile the LCA at the correct level before submitting the immigration petition. Accepting a below-floor offer does not protect you; the petition will be denied or result in an RFE.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a specific U.S. location for this role?
Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up the current DOL prevailing wage for SOC 35-2013 at any metropolitan area or county in the U.S. Enter the SOC code, select the state and area, and review all four levels. For broader occupational context, O*NET provides wage data and job zone information for Cooks, Private Household. Migrate Mate surfaces employers who have sponsored this role, so you can cross-reference sponsorship history with location and salary filters.
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