Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
Cooks, Restaurants in Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL make a median of $28,800 a year, or about $13.85 an hour. The range runs from $22K at the entry level to $36K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 84.82), which stretches that salary to about $33,954 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,000/month — about 49.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $29K get you in Florence-Muscle Shoals?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Florence-Muscle Shoals’s Regional Price Parity (84.82). 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.
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Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
Entry-level cooks, restaurants (10th percentile) start around $22K. Mid-career wages sit at $29K. Top earners bring in $36K or more, a $15K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Restaurant pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $46K | +26% | 31,640 |
| District of Columbia | $45K | +23% | 8,020 |
| Washington | $45K | +22% | 34,790 |
| Maine | $45K | +22% | 4,920 |
| Hawaii | $45K | +21% | 12,190 |
| Vermont | $45K | +21% | 2,710 |
| California | $44K | +20% | 160,270 |
| New York | $40K | +8% | 62,430 |
| New Hampshire | $39K | +6% | 6,980 |
| Rhode Island | $39K | +6% | 6,490 |
| Alaska | $39K | +5% | 2,480 |
| Minnesota | $38K | +4% | 26,900 |
| New Jersey | $38K | +3% | 30,720 |
| Oregon | $38K | +3% | 18,970 |
| Connecticut | $38K | +3% | 13,940 |
| Arizona | $38K | +3% | 34,740 |
| Maryland | $37K | +2% | 19,260 |
| Nevada | $37K | +1% | 25,960 |
| Wisconsin | $37K | +0% | 24,360 |
| Montana | $37K | +0% | 8,170 |
| Delaware | $37K | -0% | 5,460 |
| Nebraska | $37K | -0% | 5,050 |
| Wyoming | $37K | -0% | 3,250 |
| Illinois | $37K | -1% | 61,630 |
| Virginia | $37K | -1% | 41,010 |
| Michigan | $37K | -1% | 37,860 |
| Utah | $37K | -1% | 11,630 |
| Florida | $36K | -1% | 134,480 |
| North Dakota | $36K | -2% | 4,400 |
| Tennessee | $36K | -3% | 27,300 |
| Iowa | $36K | -3% | 13,310 |
| South Carolina | $36K | -3% | 26,230 |
| Pennsylvania | $35K | -4% | 54,830 |
| Missouri | $35K | -4% | 28,390 |
| North Carolina | $35K | -4% | 50,400 |
| South Dakota | $35K | -5% | 1,880 |
| Georgia | $35K | -5% | 49,320 |
| Indiana | $35K | -5% | 27,640 |
| Idaho | $35K | -5% | 8,290 |
| Ohio | $35K | -6% | 49,880 |
| Kansas | $34K | -7% | 11,790 |
| New Mexico | $34K | -7% | 8,730 |
| Texas | $34K | -8% | 125,880 |
| Kentucky | $31K | -16% | 14,400 |
| Oklahoma | $31K | -17% | 18,760 |
| Alabama | $30K | -18% | 18,370 |
| Mississippi | $30K | -20% | 9,710 |
| Arkansas | $29K | -20% | 10,450 |
| Louisiana | $29K | -22% | 15,130 |
| West Virginia | $29K | -22% | 6,370 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track cooks, restaurant salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Florence-Muscle Shoals numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
How much do cooks, restaurants make in Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL?
The median is $28,800 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $21,540, and experienced cooks, restaurants can clear $36,240. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $29K enough to live in Florence-Muscle Shoals?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,992/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,000/month, which eats 50.2% 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 cooks, restaurant salary go in Florence-Muscle Shoals?
Florence-Muscle Shoals has a Regional Price Parity of 84.82 (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 cooks, restaurant salary is worth about $33,954 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do cooks, restaurants 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.