Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Florida
At $37,020 a year, the median for cooks, restaurant in Florida is close to the national median of $37,390 (−1%); Florida ranks 23rd of 51 states by median. That is 23% less than the median across all occupations in Florida ($47,880). Florida pays more than every neighbouring state: Georgia and Alabama range from $32,180 in Alabama to $35,940 in Georgia. Florida employs 124,040 cooks, restaurant, 12.5 per 1,000 jobs, the 3rd largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.38 means the occupation is more concentrated in Florida than nationally.
Florida vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Florida | Hourly | $14.28 | $16.85 | $17.80 | $20.60 | $22.33 | $18.42 | 124,040 | 12.49 | 1.38 |
| Annual | $29,710 | $35,050 | $37,020 | $42,850 | $46,450 | $38,320 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $13.80 | $16.35 | $17.98 | $21.45 | $23.03 | $18.62 | 1,409,890 | – | – |
| Annual | $28,700 | $34,010 | $37,390 | $44,620 | $47,900 | $38,730 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 23rd of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 3rd of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.38
- Jobs per 1,000
- 12.49
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Florida's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in Florida
22 metropolitan areas and 2 nonmetropolitan areas touching Florida publish a row for cooks, restaurant, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | $19.82 | $41,220 | $36,290 | $49,480 | 3,650 | 21.02 | 2.32 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $18.26 | $37,970 | $30,700 | $47,570 | 19,960 | 14.14 | 1.56 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $18.00 | $37,440 | $30,630 | $46,550 | 4,780 | 14.05 | 1.55 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $17.91 | $37,240 | $30,800 | $46,760 | 4,330 | 14.21 | 1.57 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $17.79 | $37,010 | $28,700 | $44,670 | 18,640 | 12.88 | 1.42 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $17.75 | $36,920 | $29,090 | $47,160 | 37,210 | 13.20 | 1.46 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $17.68 | $36,770 | $30,320 | $45,040 | 7,770 | 10.14 | 1.12 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $17.67 | $36,750 | $29,750 | $45,500 | 2,890 | 11.80 | 1.30 |
| Punta Gorda, FL | $17.66 | $36,730 | $29,650 | $44,530 | 990 | 17.13 | 1.89 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | $17.60 | $36,600 | $30,020 | $46,560 | 2,400 | 19.18 | 2.11 |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | $17.57 | $36,540 | $29,700 | $45,160 | 2,240 | 13.11 | 1.45 |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL | $17.54 | $36,490 | $30,180 | $44,980 | 870 | 15.02 | 1.66 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | $17.48 | $36,350 | $30,010 | $44,590 | 3,280 | 14.94 | 1.65 |
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL | $17.27 | $35,920 | $29,780 | $45,110 | 560 | 13.65 | 1.51 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | $17.21 | $35,800 | $29,630 | $44,610 | 2,260 | 11.89 | 1.31 |
| Gainesville, FL | $17.19 | $35,760 | $29,490 | $44,630 | 1,320 | 8.65 | 0.95 |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | $17.18 | $35,720 | $29,210 | $43,900 | 1,310 | 14.47 | 1.60 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | $17.12 | $35,600 | $28,900 | $44,290 | 2,080 | 7.83 | 0.86 |
| Ocala, FL | $17.07 | $35,500 | $28,490 | $43,890 | 1,260 | 10.42 | 1.15 |
| Homosassa Springs, FL | $16.69 | $34,720 | $28,880 | $43,130 | 530 | 14.88 | 1.64 |
| Tallahassee, FL | $16.64 | $34,610 | $28,040 | $43,150 | 1,520 | 8.19 | 0.90 |
| Sebring, FL | $16.60 | $34,530 | $28,710 | $44,340 | 300 | 10.61 | 1.17 |
| South Florida nonmetropolitan area | $18.18 | $37,820 | $31,080 | $47,060 | 1,810 | 20.68 | 2.28 |
| North Florida nonmetropolitan area | $17.77 | $36,970 | $30,110 | $46,990 | 970 | 8.57 | 0.95 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Cooks, Restaurant (every state ranked) and the Florida wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Florida estimates.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.