13. Washington
Annual median wage: $47,210
Cost of living index: 107.1
Employment: 2,100
Washington is home to a lot of gastropubs and fine dine restaurants. There are tons of job opportunities for you if you are a culinary expert, which makes it really deserving to be one of the best states for chefs and head cooks. Washington pays these professionals with wages higher than the national average. Their cost of living rates are a bit higher than most states in America, but the demand they have for chefs is too high to ignore.