8. Ohio
Annual median wage: $40,120
Cost of living index: 93
Employment: 3,300
Chefs and head cooks surely abound in Ohio. If you’re going to earn a wage that’s just hanging on the average and your living expenses stay generally cheap, you are left with nothing else to look for. This state has successfully managed to balance their wages and expenses well, it should not be surprising that more and more families would want to live and work in Ohio–whether or not they are chefs and head cooks.
