A person working as Executive Chef in Korea (South) typically earns around 2,990,000 KRW. Salaries range from 1,550,000 KRW (lowest) to 4,570,000 KRW (highest).
This is the average salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Executive Chef salaries in Korea (South) vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Minimum Salary 1,550,000 KRW |
Median 2,720,000 KRW |
Maximum 4,570,000 KRW |
Salaries for the position Executive Chef in Korea (South) range from 1,550,000 KRW (starting salary) to 4,570,000 KRW (maximum salary). It should be noted that the given figure is not the legally mandated minimum wage; rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that included thousands of participants and professionals from all regions of the country.
With a median salary of 2,720,000 KRW, half of the professionals who work as Executive Chef in Korea (South) earn less than this amount, and the other half earn more. The median salary denotes the middle value of salaries. Ideally, you would want to belong to the group earning more than the median salary, located on the right side of the salary distribution graph.
The median is closely associated with two other values known as the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution chart, it can be determined that 25% of professionals employed as Executive Chef in Korea (South) earn less than 2,250,000 KRW, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 3,080,000 KRW while 25% earn more.
To provide a better understanding of expected salaries, we categorized the frequently occurring salaries into different ranges. This approach provides a more precise representation of salary distribution for the job title Executive Chef in Korea (South) compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 1,760,000 KRW to 2,410,000 KRW. About 20% of salaries are below the 1,760,000 KRW mark, while 10% fall within the range of 2,410,000 KRW to 2,710,000 KRW. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 2,710,000 KRW.
0 - 2 Years | 1,770,000 KRW | |
2 - 5 Years | +34% | 2,370,000 KRW |
5 - 10 Years | +30% | 3,080,000 KRW |
10 - 15 Years | +21% | 3,730,000 KRW |
15 - 20 Years | +9% | 4,080,000 KRW |
20+ Years | +5% | 4,290,000 KRW |
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally, the more years of experience the higher the wage. We broke down salaries by experience level for people working as Executive Chef and this is what we found.
Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 1,770,000 KRW.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 2,370,000 KRW, 34% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 3,080,000 KRW, 30% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, professionals whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 3,730,000 KRW, 21% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 4,080,000 KRW, 9% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 4,290,000 KRW, 5% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
High School | 2,220,000 KRW | |
Certificate or Diploma | +68% | 3,730,000 KRW |
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down salaries by education level for the position Executive Chef in order to make a comparison.
Employees at this education level have an average salary of 2,220,000 KRW.
At this level, the average salary becomes 3,730,000 KRW, 68% more than the previous level.
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? For the people who work as Executive Chef in Korea (South), the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 6%.
Male | 3,080,000 KRW | |
Female | -6% | 2,910,000 KRW |
Individuals working as Executive Chef in Korea (South) are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 11% every 17 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 9% granted to employees every 16 months.
The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one-year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 / Increase Frequency
Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.
47% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 53% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 3% to 5% of their annual salary.
Received Bonus | 53% | |
No Bonus | 47% |
The most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
The main two types of jobs | |
Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually, jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fixed amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
The minimum pay rate per hour for people working as Executive Chef in Korea (South) is 8,970 KRW. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.
Job Title | Average Salary |
Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering | -100% | |
Airbnb Property Manager | 4,410,000 KRW | +48% |
All Rounder | 1,660,000 KRW | -44% |
Assistant Executive Housekeeper | 1,150,000 KRW | -62% |
Assistant Food and Beverage Controller | 2,280,000 KRW | -24% |
Assistant Food and Beverage Director | 5,390,000 KRW | +80% |
Assistant Hospitality Manager | 5,530,000 KRW | +85% |
Assistant Storekeeper | 1,120,000 KRW | -63% |
Assistant Tour Manager | 2,600,000 KRW | -13% |
Baker and Pastrycook | 1,320,000 KRW | -56% |
Bakery Manager | 2,960,000 KRW | -1% |
Bakery Superintendent | 1,920,000 KRW | -36% |
Banquet Captain | 1,520,000 KRW | -49% |
Banquet Manager | 2,070,000 KRW | -31% |
Banquet Server | 1,280,000 KRW | -57% |
Bar Attendant | 1,320,000 KRW | -56% |
Bar Manager | 2,590,000 KRW | -13% |
Bar Supervisor | 1,810,000 KRW | -39% |
Barista | 1,570,000 KRW | -47% |
Bartender | 1,580,000 KRW | -47% |
Bellman | 1,260,000 KRW | -58% |
Beverage Manager | 3,260,000 KRW | +9% |
Bistro Attendant | 1,400,000 KRW | -53% |
Buffet Chef | 2,460,000 KRW | -18% |
Buffet Host | 1,340,000 KRW | -55% |
Buffet Manager | 2,750,000 KRW | -8% |
Butcher and Slaughterer | 1,050,000 KRW | -65% |
Cafeteria Assistant | 1,350,000 KRW | -55% |
Cafeteria Manager | 2,420,000 KRW | -19% |
Cafeteria Supervisor | 1,750,000 KRW | -41% |
Cake Decorator | 1,430,000 KRW | -52% |
Casino Shift Manager | 4,480,000 KRW | +50% |
Chain Store Customer Support | 2,050,000 KRW | -31% |
Chef | 2,510,000 KRW | -16% |
Chef De Cuisine | 3,350,000 KRW | +12% |
Club Manager | 4,580,000 KRW | +53% |
Cluster Director | 5,980,000 KRW | +100% |
Cluster Revenue Manager | 4,750,000 KRW | +59% |
Cocktail Server | 1,380,000 KRW | -54% |
Coffee Shop Manager | 4,610,000 KRW | +54% |
Concierge | 1,230,000 KRW | -59% |
Confectionery Baker | 1,550,000 KRW | -48% |
Conference and Sales Coordinator | 2,350,000 KRW | -21% |
Conference Services Manager | 2,810,000 KRW | -6% |
Cook | 2,120,000 KRW | -29% |
Corporate Sous Chef | 3,600,000 KRW | +20% |
Corporate Travel Consultant | 3,470,000 KRW | +16% |
Croupier | 1,720,000 KRW | -42% |
Culinary Assistant | 1,100,000 KRW | -63% |
Culinary Associate | 1,110,000 KRW | -63% |
Culinary Tour Guide | 3,160,000 KRW | +6% |
Demi Chef | 2,640,000 KRW | -12% |
Dietary Aide | 2,610,000 KRW | -13% |
Dining Room Supervisor | 2,330,000 KRW | -22% |
Dishwasher | 1,060,000 KRW | -65% |
Duty Manager | 2,870,000 KRW | -4% |
Events Coordinator | 1,950,000 KRW | -35% |
Executive Chef | 2,990,000 KRW | +0% |
Executive Pastry Chef | 2,280,000 KRW | -24% |
Fast Food Cook | 2,030,000 KRW | -32% |
Fast Food Shift Supervisor | 2,210,000 KRW | -26% |
Fine Dining Cook | 3,630,000 KRW | +21% |
Fine Dining Restaurant Chef | 3,430,000 KRW | +15% |
Fleet Manager | 6,450,000 KRW | +120% |
Food and Beverage Manager | 4,870,000 KRW | +63% |
Food and Beverage Trend Analyst | 3,200,000 KRW | +7% |
Food Consultant | 4,060,000 KRW | +36% |
Food Photographer | 2,630,000 KRW | -12% |
Food Policy Analyst | 3,580,000 KRW | +20% |
Food Safety Auditor | 3,380,000 KRW | +13% |
Food Safety Compliance Manager | 3,590,000 KRW | +20% |
Food Safety Coordinator | 2,750,000 KRW | -8% |
Food Server | 1,210,000 KRW | -60% |
Food Service Director | 4,640,000 KRW | +55% |
Food Service Manager | 5,030,000 KRW | +68% |
Food Service Sales | 3,040,000 KRW | +2% |
Food Service Worker | 1,240,000 KRW | -59% |
Food Stylist | 2,040,000 KRW | -32% |
Food Sustainability Consultant | 3,650,000 KRW | +22% |
Front Desk Agent | 1,560,000 KRW | -48% |
Front Desk Clerk | 1,420,000 KRW | -52% |
Front Office Manager | 2,720,000 KRW | -9% |
Gastronomy Consultant | 2,950,000 KRW | -1% |
Guest Service Executive | 4,000,000 KRW | +34% |
Guest Service Representative | 1,690,000 KRW | -43% |
Head Chef | 2,980,000 KRW | -0% |
Head Concierge | 1,950,000 KRW | -35% |
Hospitality Director | 7,740,000 KRW | +160% |
Hospitality Technology Specialist | 3,190,000 KRW | +7% |
Hostess / Host | 1,480,000 KRW | -50% |
Hotel Desk Clerk | 1,530,000 KRW | -49% |
Hotel Maid | 1,080,000 KRW | -64% |
Hotel Manager | 7,340,000 KRW | +150% |
Hotel Revenue Manager | 4,570,000 KRW | +53% |
Hotel Sales Manager | 5,170,000 KRW | +73% |
Hotel Service Supervisor | 4,190,000 KRW | +40% |
Hotel Staff | 1,290,000 KRW | -57% |
Inventory Coordinator | 1,590,000 KRW | -47% |
Kitchen Manager | 2,580,000 KRW | -14% |
Kitchen Staff | 1,300,000 KRW | -57% |
Kitchen Supervisor | 2,220,000 KRW | -26% |
Line Cook | 2,350,000 KRW | -21% |
Luggage Porter | 1,020,000 KRW | -66% |
Molecular Gastronomist | 3,580,000 KRW | +20% |
Motel Manager | 3,950,000 KRW | +32% |
Pastry Chef | 2,090,000 KRW | -30% |
Pastrycooking and Baking Assistant | 1,370,000 KRW | -54% |
Personal Chef | 2,950,000 KRW | -1% |
Production Operator | 2,040,000 KRW | -32% |
Quality, Health and Safety Coordinator | 2,340,000 KRW | -22% |
Receptionist | 1,460,000 KRW | -51% |
Regional Restaurant Manager | 5,720,000 KRW | +91% |
Restaurant Manager | 4,950,000 KRW | +66% |
Restaurant Server | 1,240,000 KRW | -59% |
Room Reservations Manager | 4,950,000 KRW | +66% |
Room Service Manager | 4,770,000 KRW | +60% |
Sous Chef | 2,630,000 KRW | -12% |
Special Events Coordinator | 3,080,000 KRW | +3% |
Supervisor of Food Services | 3,230,000 KRW | +8% |
Sustainable Catering Coordinator | 3,020,000 KRW | +1% |
Sustainable Tourism Consultant | 3,400,000 KRW | +14% |
Tour Consultant | 3,540,000 KRW | +18% |
Tour Guide | 2,410,000 KRW | -19% |
Tour Manager | 3,140,000 KRW | +5% |
Travel Agent | 2,450,000 KRW | -18% |
Travel Consultant | 3,730,000 KRW | +25% |
Virtual / Augmented Reality Tourism Specialist | 2,970,000 KRW | -1% |
Waiter / Waitress | 1,240,000 KRW | -59% |
Wedding Planner | 3,950,000 KRW | +32% |
Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in Korea (South) is 6% on average across all career fields.
Private Sector | 3,780,000 KRW | |
Public Sector | +6% | 4,000,000 KRW |
A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 2,720,000 KRW and 3,080,000 KRW. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.
The base salary for a careers like Executive Chef in Korea (South) ranges from 1,550,000 KRW to 2,250,000 KRW. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary