I suspect he's just working in the wrong restaurants. According to indeed.com, the average salary of an executive chef in Seattle is $54k, with a high of $83k.

I suspect he's just working in the wrong restaurants. According to indeed.com, the average salary of an executive chef in Seattle is $54k, with a high of $83k. Time to look for a new job, and either negotiate a huge payrise or tell them to stick their $15/hr job.