Chefs and Head Cooks Salary
Chefs and Head Cooks in Florida make a median of $58,240 a year, or about $28 an hour. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $92K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.58), that's roughly $59,079 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,658/month, about 41% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Florida. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $58K get you in Florida?
About chefs and head cooks
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What this looks like in Florida
Chefs and head cooks pay in Florida tracks closely to the national median, $58K locally vs. $62K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,658/month, which is 40.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.58) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Florida
Entry-level chefs and head cooks (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $58K. Top earners bring in $92K or more, a $60K spread from bottom to top.
Chefs and Head Cooks salary by metro in Florida
22 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naples-Marco Island | $69K | +18% | 640 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $61K | +5% | 2,360 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota | $60K | +3% | 880 |
| Wildwood-The Villages | $60K | +2% | 130 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $58K | +0% | 1,720 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $58K | -1% | 8,210 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin | $57K | -2% | 380 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | $56K | -3% | 660 |
| Port St. Lucie | $56K | -4% | 340 |
| Ocala | $56K | -5% | 120 |
| Jacksonville | $55K | -5% | 1,230 |
| Punta Gorda | $54K | -7% | 160 |
| Tallahassee | $53K | -9% | 220 |
| Sebring | $53K | -9% | 40 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach | $52K | -11% | 330 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven | $51K | -13% | 280 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | $50K | -14% | 270 |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor | $50K | -15% | 200 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent | $49K | -16% | 280 |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach | $48K | -18% | 200 |
| Gainesville | $47K | -19% | 250 |
| Homosassa Springs | $42K | -28% | 70 |
Showing 1–10 of 22 metros
Compare to other states
Track chefs and head cooks salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Florida numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a chefs and head cook afford a 2BR apartment alone in Florida?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $58K, rent takes 40.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,658/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for chefs and head cooks in Florida?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chefs and head cooks typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,915/month. At HUD’s $1,658/month FMR, rent would take 87% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is chefs and head cook a high-paying job in Florida?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $58K locally vs. $62K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Florida compare to the national average for chefs and head cooks?
Florida pays $58K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s -7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.58), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — below the national median.
How much do chefs and head cooks make in Florida?
The median is $58,240 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,920, and experienced chefs and head cooks can clear $92,300. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $58K enough to live in Florida?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,070/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,658/month, which eats 40.7% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a chefs and head cooks salary go in Florida?
Florida has a Regional Price Parity of 98.58 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median chefs and head cooks salary is worth about $59,079 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do chefs and head cooks get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.