New York has the widest private chef range of any city we recruit for. The same job title covers a cook who puts three balanced family meals on the table every day and a chef with a restaurant background who designs menus and runs dinners for twenty. The price difference is three to five times, and most budget mistakes come from not deciding which one the household actually needs.
What a private chef in New York costs
According to the Royal Keeper household staff salary review (data as of summer 2026), rates in the US are:
Family cook - USD 5,000-7,500 per month. Daily cooking for the household, shopping and stock, dietary requirements, children's meals.
Restaurant-level private chef - USD 10,800-25,000 per month. Menu design, sourcing, service for guests and events, often a professional kitchen background. At the very top of the market, chefs with a public profile are reported at up to USD 300,000 a year.
New York sits at the upper end of the national range, alongside Los Angeles. These are premium-segment rates for agency placements with private families, not averages for the restaurant industry.
Gross, with employer taxes on top
US figures are gross salary, before tax. Federal and state payroll taxes, unemployment insurance and workers compensation are the household's cost in addition to the salary. In New York State, domestic employment also carries its own set of obligations, including overtime and paid leave rules.
The contrast with the Gulf matters if you are comparing offers across your residences. The same review puts a restaurant-level chef in the UAE at AED 20,000-35,000, and those are take-home figures with accommodation, visa and insurance provided separately. A Dubai number and a New York number are not the same kind of quantity.
Other markets, all gross: a restaurant-level private chef in the UK at GBP 5,400-15,800, in France at EUR 6,600-11,200, in Switzerland at CHF 9,900-16,750.
Family cook or private chef: which role you need
A family cook fits when
The household eats at home most days and wants consistency rather than novelty
There are children, and their meals are a meaningful part of the job
Dietary requirements are stable: allergies, a nutrition plan, a training diet
Entertaining is occasional and small
A restaurant-level chef fits when
The household entertains regularly, with guest counts that need planning and staffing
Menus are expected to change and to be built around seasonal sourcing
The kitchen is professionally equipped and the chef will manage it, including suppliers and budget
The family travels and expects the chef to work in other residences and on charter
Working formats
Live-out, full time - the norm in Manhattan. Clear hours, higher cash salary, no accommodation cost.
Live-in - more common in the Hamptons, Westchester and Connecticut, and for households with several residences.
Part-time or batch cooking - a few days a week with meals prepared ahead. A sensible entry point for a household that eats out several times a week.
Seasonal and travelling - a summer residence, a winter house, a yacht. Priced at the top of the range, and travel terms belong in the contract.
What moves the rate
Household size and how often the family entertains
Specialist dietary work: medical diets, sports nutrition, allergen-controlled kitchens
Cuisine breadth and the ability to cover several traditions credibly
Willingness to travel and to work in unfamiliar kitchens
A confidentiality agreement and experience in households with guests of public profile
Managing other kitchen or service staff
Mistakes and red flags
Hiring a restaurant chef for a family kitchen. A chef who thrives on service volume and creative freedom often loses interest cooking the same reliable dinners for four, and leaves within a year.
An undefined shopping and budget process. Who buys, who approves, what the monthly grocery budget is - decide before the start date, not after the first invoice.
No tasting as part of the process. A tasting in your own kitchen tells you more than any CV.
Overtime left vague. Dinner parties run late. New York rules on overtime for household employees are specific, and ignoring them is a legal exposure, not just a fairness issue.
Treating food cost as part of the salary. It is a separate budget line and should be tracked separately.
The legal frame
Household employment in the US means payroll registration, tax withholding and reporting, workers compensation where required, and compliance with state-level domestic worker protections. New York State has specific rules on overtime, rest days and paid leave for household employees.
This is general information, not legal advice. The contract, payroll setup and current obligations should be confirmed with an employment lawyer or a household payroll provider in the state of employment before hiring.
Hiring through Royal Keeper
Royal Keeper places private chefs and family cooks with private families in the US and internationally. We start by establishing which of the two roles the household actually runs on, because that decision sets both the budget and the shortlist.
Regional pages: USA, United Kingdom, Monaco
Royal Keeper - all household staff services
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is USD 5,000-7,500 what the cook takes home?
No. It is the gross monthly salary. The employee receives less after tax, and the household pays payroll taxes and insurance on top of the gross figure. Budget from total employer cost.
Why is a restaurant-level chef two to three times more expensive?
Because the job includes menu design, sourcing, event service and often kitchen management. The review puts restaurant-level private chefs in the US at USD 10,800-25,000 a month against USD 5,000-7,500 for a family cook.
Does the chef's salary include the food budget?
No, and mixing the two is a common source of friction. Set a separate monthly grocery budget, agree who purchases and who approves, and review it after the first two months.
Can we start part-time and expand later?
Often the better route. Two or three days a week with prepared meals shows you what the household actually eats and how much cooking capacity it needs, before you commit to a full-time salary at New York rates.