Rates, 2026
What should a private chef charge in a smaller market?
About $700 a day for a private chef who is working and booked in a smaller US market. $450 in the first years, $950 when senior. A dinner runs about $1,225.
Other markets: New York or LA · a major city · remote
First years
$450
a day · $55 an hour
Working, booked
$700
a day · $90 an hour
Senior, sought after
$950
a day · $125 an hour
The rate card, working level
- Day rate$700 per day
- Hourlyfor anything that does not fit a day$90 per hour
- A dinner$1,225 per project
- Monthly retainerweekly meal prep for a household$4,550 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 a smaller US market: the low end is the first years, the high end is senior. Working and booked sits in the middle.
- Dinner party$70 to $175 per person
- Weekly meal prep$275 to $850 per week
- Cooking class$200 to $700 each
- Event catering$40 to $100 per person
How the number is made
Private chefs at this level in this market day at about $700 ($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 $725. 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 a smaller US market?
- About $700 a day for someone working and booked, $450 in the first years, $950 when senior and sought after. Half days usually run 60% of the day.
- How much is a dinner?
- $1,225 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 $4,550 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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