To keep it in perspective, most chefs who we surveyed make at least that; many are making much more. The recession has hit some worse than others. In 2008, executive chefs reported making on average $74,869, which is down 3.5% from our 2007 Salary Survey results. Pastry chefs were even worse hit; respondents’ salaries in 2008 were $46,228, a 13% decrease from their reported 2007 average salary of $53,017.