How to Hire an Executive Chef: 2026 Hiring Guide

To hire an executive chef, define the kitchen they'll lead, set pay against real market data, recruit chefs who already run kitchens like yours, and test both their cooking and their numbers before you make an offer.

Define the executive chef role before you post it

An executive chef at a single restaurant cooks and leads one kitchen. At a resort, hotel or club, the role can cover several outlets, banquets and in-room dining, with a larger team and budget.

Write down the covers, outlets, team size, food cost target and who the chef reports to. That is the job description.

What to pay an executive chef in 2026

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median pay for chefs and head cooks at $62,470 a year (May 2025). That category includes head cooks at smaller restaurants, so executive chef pay runs higher. Payscale's 2026 data shows an average base of $77,077 for executive chefs, with most between $55,000 and $107,000, plus annual bonuses of $1,000 to $17,000.

See every culinary and management role in our 2026 salary guide and our executive chef salary guide.

Where to find executive chef candidates

• Employed chefs at comparable kitchens. The best are busy running a kitchen, not reading job boards.
• Your executive sous chef, if they're ready to lead and you can backfill their role.
• Referrals from vendors, purveyors and other chefs.
• Job boards, best for reaching a wider pool of active candidates.

What to look for in an executive chef

• A comparable kitchen: similar volume, menu style and team size
• Business results: food cost and labor percentages, not only dishes
• Menu development and costing: how they price and test new items
• Team development: sous chefs and cooks they've trained and promoted
• Range when you need it: banquet or multi-outlet experience
• A clean food safety record and a clear grasp of inspections

How to run an executive chef tasting

A tasting or working interview shows how a chef cooks, organizes and leads. Tell candidates in advance what you want to see, provide the ingredients and set a time limit.

Include the owner or GM who will work with the chef, and score every candidate on the same criteria.

Interview questions to ask an executive chef

1. What was your food cost last quarter, and how did you manage it?
2. How do you cost a new menu item?
3. Tell me about a sous chef you developed. Where are they now?
4. How do you handle a cook who keeps missing tickets during a rush?
5. What would you change on our menu after a month, and how would you test it?
6. How do you work with the front of house when service breaks down?

Red flags when hiring an executive chef

• Talks only about dishes, never about numbers
• High turnover in every kitchen they've run
• Won't do a tasting or working interview
• Unclear about their food safety and inspection history

When to use an executive chef recruiter

An executive chef recruiter, sometimes called a headhunter, reaches chefs who are employed and not looking. That matters when the seat is open, confidential, or hard to fill in your market.

We recruit executive chefs, kitchen managers and food and beverage directors for restaurants, resorts, hotels and private clubs nationwide, for 18% of first-year base salary with a six-month replacement guarantee. See how much hospitality recruiters charge.