A person working as Chef in Hong Kong typically earns around 21,100 HKD. Salaries range from 11,000 HKD (lowest) to 32,400 HKD (highest).
This is the average salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Chef salaries in Hong Kong vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Minimum Salary 11,000 HKD |
Median 19,200 HKD |
Maximum 32,400 HKD |
Salaries for the position Chef in Hong Kong range from 11,000 HKD (starting salary) to 32,400 HKD (maximum salary). It should be noted that the given figure is not the legally mandated minimum wage; rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that included thousands of participants and professionals from all regions of the country.
With a median salary of 19,200 HKD, half of the professionals who work as Chef in Hong Kong earn less than this amount, and the other half earn more. The median salary denotes the middle value of salaries. Ideally, you would want to belong to the group earning more than the median salary, located on the right side of the salary distribution graph.
The median is closely associated with two other values known as the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution chart, it can be determined that 25% of professionals employed as Chef in Hong Kong earn less than 16,000 HKD, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 21,800 HKD while 25% earn more.
To provide a better understanding of expected salaries, we categorized the frequently occurring salaries into different ranges. This approach provides a more precise representation of salary distribution for the job title Chef in Hong Kong compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 12,500 HKD to 17,100 HKD. About 20% of salaries are below the 12,500 HKD mark, while 10% fall within the range of 17,100 HKD to 19,200 HKD. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 19,200 HKD.
0 - 2 Years | 12,500 HKD | |
2 - 5 Years | +34% | 16,800 HKD |
5 - 10 Years | +30% | 21,800 HKD |
10 - 15 Years | +21% | 26,400 HKD |
15 - 20 Years | +9% | 28,800 HKD |
20+ Years | +5% | 30,300 HKD |
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally, the more years of experience the higher the wage. We broke down salaries by experience level for people working as Chef and this is what we found.
Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 12,500 HKD.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 16,800 HKD, 34% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 21,800 HKD, 30% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, professionals whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 26,400 HKD, 21% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 28,800 HKD, 9% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 30,300 HKD, 5% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
High School | 15,700 HKD | |
Certificate or Diploma | +68% | 26,400 HKD |
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down salaries by education level for the position Chef in order to make a comparison.
Employees at this education level have an average salary of 15,700 HKD.
At this level, the average salary becomes 26,400 HKD, 68% more than the previous level.
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? For the people who work as Chef in Hong Kong, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 8%.
Male | 22,100 HKD | |
Female | -7% | 20,500 HKD |
Individuals working as Chef in Hong Kong are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 5% every 29 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 4% granted to employees every 29 months.
The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one-year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 / Increase Frequency
Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.
66% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 34% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 3% to 5% of their annual salary.
Received Bonus | 34% | |
No Bonus | 66% |
The most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
The main two types of jobs | |
Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually, jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fixed amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
The minimum pay rate per hour for people working as Chef in Hong Kong is 63 HKD. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.
Job Title | Average Salary |
Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering | -100% | |
Airbnb Property Manager | 36,800 HKD | +74% |
All Rounder | 13,400 HKD | -37% |
Assistant Executive Housekeeper | 10,200 HKD | -52% |
Assistant Food and Beverage Controller | 19,600 HKD | -7% |
Assistant Food and Beverage Director | 44,100 HKD | +110% |
Assistant Hospitality Manager | 45,000 HKD | +110% |
Assistant Storekeeper | 9,390 HKD | -56% |
Assistant Tour Manager | 22,600 HKD | +7% |
Baker and Pastrycook | 12,100 HKD | -43% |
Bakery Manager | 27,300 HKD | +29% |
Bakery Superintendent | 17,300 HKD | -18% |
Banquet Captain | 13,300 HKD | -37% |
Banquet Manager | 18,300 HKD | -13% |
Banquet Server | 11,600 HKD | -45% |
Bar Attendant | 11,500 HKD | -46% |
Bar Manager | 24,200 HKD | +14% |
Bar Supervisor | 16,600 HKD | -22% |
Barista | 14,200 HKD | -33% |
Bartender | 13,500 HKD | -36% |
Bellman | 11,200 HKD | -47% |
Beverage Manager | 27,500 HKD | +30% |
Bistro Attendant | 12,000 HKD | -43% |
Buffet Chef | 20,300 HKD | -4% |
Buffet Host | 11,100 HKD | -48% |
Buffet Manager | 24,800 HKD | +17% |
Butcher and Slaughterer | 9,260 HKD | -56% |
Cafeteria Assistant | 11,600 HKD | -45% |
Cafeteria Manager | 21,000 HKD | -1% |
Cafeteria Supervisor | 15,600 HKD | -26% |
Cake Decorator | 13,200 HKD | -38% |
Casino Shift Manager | 38,300 HKD | +81% |
Chain Store Customer Support | 18,100 HKD | -14% |
Chef | 21,100 HKD | -0% |
Chef De Cuisine | 29,400 HKD | +39% |
Club Manager | 39,800 HKD | +88% |
Cluster Director | 51,100 HKD | +140% |
Cluster Revenue Manager | 39,900 HKD | +89% |
Cocktail Server | 11,100 HKD | -48% |
Coffee Shop Manager | 38,100 HKD | +80% |
Concierge | 10,600 HKD | -50% |
Confectionery Baker | 12,400 HKD | -41% |
Conference and Sales Coordinator | 19,900 HKD | -6% |
Conference Services Manager | 25,000 HKD | +18% |
Cook | 18,100 HKD | -14% |
Corporate Sous Chef | 32,000 HKD | +51% |
Corporate Travel Consultant | 31,100 HKD | +47% |
Croupier | 15,800 HKD | -25% |
Culinary Assistant | 9,640 HKD | -54% |
Culinary Associate | 9,610 HKD | -55% |
Culinary Tour Guide | 27,600 HKD | +31% |
Demi Chef | 22,000 HKD | +4% |
Dietary Aide | 21,900 HKD | +4% |
Dining Room Supervisor | 18,900 HKD | -11% |
Dishwasher | 8,430 HKD | -60% |
Duty Manager | 26,300 HKD | +24% |
Events Coordinator | 16,500 HKD | -22% |
Executive Chef | 24,300 HKD | +15% |
Executive Pastry Chef | 19,800 HKD | -6% |
Fast Food Cook | 17,000 HKD | -20% |
Fast Food Shift Supervisor | 18,800 HKD | -11% |
Fine Dining Cook | 29,900 HKD | +41% |
Fine Dining Restaurant Chef | 30,300 HKD | +43% |
Fleet Manager | 55,500 HKD | +160% |
Food and Beverage Manager | 41,900 HKD | +98% |
Food and Beverage Trend Analyst | 29,500 HKD | +39% |
Food Consultant | 34,300 HKD | +62% |
Food Photographer | 23,400 HKD | +11% |
Food Policy Analyst | 31,400 HKD | +48% |
Food Safety Auditor | 29,100 HKD | +38% |
Food Safety Compliance Manager | 33,600 HKD | +59% |
Food Safety Coordinator | 25,300 HKD | +20% |
Food Server | 11,400 HKD | -46% |
Food Service Director | 42,900 HKD | +100% |
Food Service Manager | 42,600 HKD | +100% |
Food Service Sales | 27,600 HKD | +31% |
Food Service Worker | 11,500 HKD | -46% |
Food Stylist | 18,800 HKD | -11% |
Food Sustainability Consultant | 33,000 HKD | +56% |
Front Desk Agent | 13,300 HKD | -37% |
Front Desk Clerk | 12,600 HKD | -40% |
Front Office Manager | 23,100 HKD | +9% |
Gastronomy Consultant | 24,400 HKD | +15% |
Guest Service Executive | 37,200 HKD | +76% |
Guest Service Representative | 15,100 HKD | -29% |
Head Chef | 26,300 HKD | +24% |
Head Concierge | 17,000 HKD | -20% |
Hospitality Director | 62,500 HKD | +200% |
Hospitality Technology Specialist | 27,700 HKD | +31% |
Hostess / Host | 13,200 HKD | -38% |
Hotel Desk Clerk | 12,600 HKD | -40% |
Hotel Maid | 9,590 HKD | -55% |
Hotel Manager | 64,600 HKD | +210% |
Hotel Revenue Manager | 39,000 HKD | +84% |
Hotel Sales Manager | 48,400 HKD | +130% |
Hotel Service Supervisor | 36,200 HKD | +71% |
Hotel Staff | 11,900 HKD | -44% |
Inventory Coordinator | 14,300 HKD | -32% |
Kitchen Manager | 21,900 HKD | +4% |
Kitchen Staff | 12,000 HKD | -43% |
Kitchen Supervisor | 19,100 HKD | -10% |
Line Cook | 19,600 HKD | -7% |
Luggage Porter | 9,460 HKD | -55% |
Molecular Gastronomist | 32,300 HKD | +53% |
Motel Manager | 35,900 HKD | +70% |
Pastry Chef | 18,800 HKD | -11% |
Pastrycooking and Baking Assistant | 12,200 HKD | -42% |
Personal Chef | 26,900 HKD | +27% |
Production Operator | 18,400 HKD | -13% |
Quality, Health and Safety Coordinator | 19,100 HKD | -10% |
Receptionist | 13,400 HKD | -37% |
Regional Restaurant Manager | 50,200 HKD | +140% |
Restaurant Manager | 42,700 HKD | +100% |
Restaurant Server | 10,800 HKD | -49% |
Room Reservations Manager | 42,100 HKD | +99% |
Room Service Manager | 39,800 HKD | +88% |
Sous Chef | 23,200 HKD | +10% |
Special Events Coordinator | 26,200 HKD | +24% |
Supervisor of Food Services | 29,300 HKD | +39% |
Sustainable Catering Coordinator | 25,600 HKD | +21% |
Sustainable Tourism Consultant | 27,900 HKD | +32% |
Tour Consultant | 31,400 HKD | +48% |
Tour Guide | 21,600 HKD | +2% |
Tour Manager | 28,400 HKD | +34% |
Travel Agent | 21,900 HKD | +4% |
Travel Consultant | 29,700 HKD | +40% |
Virtual / Augmented Reality Tourism Specialist | 26,500 HKD | +25% |
Waiter / Waitress | 10,900 HKD | -48% |
Wedding Planner | 32,100 HKD | +52% |
Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in Hong Kong is 10% on average across all career fields.
Private Sector | 35,600 HKD | |
Public Sector | +10% | 39,300 HKD |
A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 19,200 HKD and 21,800 HKD. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.
The base salary for a careers like Chef in Hong Kong ranges from 11,000 HKD to 16,000 HKD. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary