Rates, 2026
What should a private chef charge in New York or LA?
About $1,000 a day for a private chef who is working and booked in New York or Los Angeles. $650 in the first years, $1,350 when senior. A dinner runs about $1,750.
Other markets: a major city · remote · a smaller market
First years
$650
a day · $80 an hour
Working, booked
$1,000
a day · $125 an hour
Senior, sought after
$1,350
a day · $175 an hour
The rate card, working level
- Day rate$1,000 per day
- Hourlyfor anything that does not fit a day$125 per hour
- A dinner$1,750 per project
- Monthly retainerweekly meal prep for a household$6,500 per month
Sold a project fee, by the day, a monthly retainer. The outcome is the unit; the day rate is for when a client wants your time instead.
What to charge for each thing
Ranges for New York or Los Angeles: the low end is the first years, the high end is senior. Working and booked sits in the middle.
- Dinner party$100 to $250 per person
- Weekly meal prep$400 to $1,200 per week
- Cooking class$300 to $1,000 each
- Event catering$60 to $150 per person
How the number is made
Private chefs at this level day at about $1,000 ($500 to $1,500 in New York and LA). Put in the year you actually want on the perfect price page and the number moves with it.
A dinner runs $500 to $3,000 and takes about 8 hours of your time; at your hourly that is $1,000. The number is the higher of the two, because the client is buying the outcome, not the hours.
A retainer is the month, not the hours: weekly meal prep for a household. It is priced about 20% under the same work bought one at a time, in exchange for the certainty; three months minimum, or it is not a retainer.
Questions
- What is a fair day rate for a private chef in New York or LA?
- About $1,000 a day for someone working and booked, $650 in the first years, $1,350 when senior and sought after. Half days usually run 60% of the day.
- How much is a dinner?
- $1,750 at a working level in this market. The client is buying the outcome, so the price is the higher of what the market pays for it and what your hours in it are worth.
- What does a monthly retainer look like for a private chef?
- Around $6,500 a month: weekly meal prep for a household. About 20% under the same work bought one piece at a time, in exchange for certainty; three months minimum.
- Are these rates a rule?
- No. They are US 2026 ranges for the role, placed by level and moved for the market. What a client actually paid you beats all of it. The tool has a box for that, and it wins.
Your number, in five seconds.
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