Yahoo Finance -- StarChefs.com, the online magazine for culinary insiders, is pleased to announce the results of its fourth annual Salary Survey. According to the survey results, culinary industry national salary averages dropped significantly in 2008. After four years of steady increase, executive chef salaries were hovering at $77,611 and in 2008 we saw this drop to an average of $74,869. Pastry chef salaries averaged at $53,017 in 2007, but have taken a 13% nosedive in 2009. Still, the individual salaries of most chef/owners, executive chefs, and chef de cuisines surveyed remain well above the US median household income of $50,740. Across the board chefs reported the highest salaries in hotel restaurants.
