Chefs and Head Cooks Salary
Chefs and Head Cooks in Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL make a median of $49,660 a year, or about $23.88 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $84K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.31), that's roughly $50,514 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,604/month, about 44.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $50K get you in Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor’s Regional Price Parity (98.31). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About chefs and head cooks
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What this looks like in Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor
Pay for chefs and head cooks in Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor runs about 21% below the U.S. median of $62K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,604/month, which is 45.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.31) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for chefs and head cookss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chefs and head cooks in metros near Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $58K | $51K |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $61K | $61K |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $58K | $58K |
| Jacksonville | $55K | $55K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL
Entry-level chefs and head cooks (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $84K or more, a $49K spread from bottom to top.
Chefs and Head Cooks pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Chefs and Head Cooks salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $80K | +28% | 740 |
| Hawaii | $77K | +24% | 1,240 |
| District of Columbia | $76K | +22% | 2,020 |
| Washington | $76K | +22% | 5,320 |
| North Dakota | $75K | +20% | 100 |
| New Jersey | $74K | +19% | 9,100 |
| Wyoming | $73K | +17% | 240 |
| South Carolina | $72K | +15% | 2,650 |
| New York | $71K | +13% | 17,430 |
| Tennessee | $70K | +12% | 3,820 |
| Massachusetts | $70K | +11% | 6,000 |
| Georgia | $66K | +6% | 3,680 |
| Vermont | $65K | +5% | 610 |
| Colorado | $65K | +5% | 3,970 |
| California | $65K | +3% | 31,670 |
| Missouri | $64K | +3% | 1,750 |
| Connecticut | $64K | +3% | 3,080 |
| Pennsylvania | $64K | +2% | 9,170 |
| Oregon | $64K | +2% | 2,510 |
| New Hampshire | $63K | +1% | 1,170 |
| Virginia | $63K | +1% | 3,600 |
| Minnesota | $63K | +0% | 1,730 |
| Alabama | $62K | -0% | 1,000 |
| Nevada | $62K | -0% | 3,940 |
| New Mexico | $62K | -0% | 770 |
| Maryland | $62K | -1% | 3,220 |
| Delaware | $61K | -2% | 590 |
| Wisconsin | $61K | -2% | 1,860 |
| North Carolina | $61K | -2% | 4,920 |
| West Virginia | $61K | -2% | 350 |
| Nebraska | $61K | -3% | 540 |
| Michigan | $60K | -4% | 5,360 |
| Arizona | $60K | -4% | 4,080 |
| Utah | $59K | -5% | 1,740 |
| Illinois | $59K | -6% | 8,290 |
| Oklahoma | $59K | -6% | 1,430 |
| Kansas | $58K | -7% | 860 |
| Florida | $58K | -7% | 19,670 |
| Montana | $57K | -8% | 720 |
| Maine | $57K | -9% | 1,250 |
| Texas | $56K | -10% | 13,270 |
| Mississippi | $55K | -12% | 840 |
| Ohio | $54K | -14% | 4,000 |
| Indiana | $52K | -16% | 1,940 |
| Alaska | $52K | -16% | 680 |
| Idaho | $52K | -17% | 550 |
| South Dakota | $48K | -22% | 300 |
| Kentucky | $48K | -23% | 1,790 |
| Iowa | $48K | -23% | 1,640 |
| Arkansas | $46K | -26% | 880 |
| Louisiana | $46K | -27% | 1,990 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track chefs and head cooks salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a chefs and head cook afford a 2BR apartment alone in Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 45.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,604/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chefs and head cooks typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,093/month. At HUD’s $1,604/month FMR, rent would take 77% 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 Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor?
Local pay runs 21% below the national median — $50K here vs. $62K nationally.
How does Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor compare to the national average for chefs and head cooks?
Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s -21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.31), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — below the national median.
How much do chefs and head cooks make in Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL?
The median is $49,660 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,890, and experienced chefs and head cooks can clear $83,770. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,495/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,604/month, which eats 45.9% 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 Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor?
Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor has a Regional Price Parity of 98.31 (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 $50,514 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.