Cooks, Restaurant Salary
Cooks, Restaurants in Gulfport-Biloxi, MS make a median of $30,590 a year, or about $14.71 an hour. The range runs from $23K at the entry level to $37K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.01), which stretches that salary to about $33,985 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,140/month, about 54.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $31K get you in Gulfport-Biloxi?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Gulfport-Biloxi’s Regional Price Parity (90.01). 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 cooks, restaurants
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What this looks like in Gulfport-Biloxi
Pay for cooks, restaurant in Gulfport-Biloxi runs about 18% below the U.S. median of $37K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,140/month, which is 54.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.01 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for cooks, restaurants.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cooks, restaurants in metros near Gulfport-Biloxi, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Jackson | $29K | $33K |
| Hattiesburg | $29K | $34K |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $38K | $40K |
| Memphis | $36K | $39K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Gulfport-Biloxi, MS
Entry-level cooks, restaurants (10th percentile) start around $23K. Mid-career wages sit at $31K. Top earners bring in $37K or more, a $14K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Restaurant pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Cooks, Restaurant salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $47K | +25% | 35,140 |
| District of Columbia | $46K | +23% | 7,720 |
| Massachusetts | $46K | +22% | 29,570 |
| Hawaii | $45K | +21% | 11,090 |
| Vermont | $45K | +21% | 2,360 |
| Maine | $45K | +21% | 5,130 |
| California | $45K | +20% | 152,250 |
| New York | $44K | +17% | 71,530 |
| Oregon | $43K | +15% | 21,550 |
| Colorado | $42K | +11% | 30,600 |
| New Hampshire | $40K | +8% | 7,190 |
| Alaska | $40K | +7% | 2,350 |
| Connecticut | $39K | +6% | 14,830 |
| Arizona | $39K | +3% | 30,870 |
| Nevada | $39K | +3% | 27,250 |
| Minnesota | $39K | +3% | 26,080 |
| New Jersey | $38K | +3% | 28,800 |
| Montana | $38K | +2% | 7,580 |
| Delaware | $38K | +1% | 5,280 |
| Maryland | $38K | +1% | 17,690 |
| Illinois | $38K | +1% | 53,540 |
| Nebraska | $37K | -1% | 4,750 |
| Florida | $37K | -1% | 124,040 |
| Michigan | $37K | -1% | 39,100 |
| Missouri | $37K | -1% | 25,990 |
| Wyoming | $37K | -1% | 2,710 |
| Virginia | $37K | -2% | 40,310 |
| Pennsylvania | $37K | -2% | 54,100 |
| Wisconsin | $37K | -2% | 25,410 |
| Rhode Island | $37K | -2% | 6,950 |
| Utah | $36K | -2% | 10,520 |
| North Dakota | $36K | -2% | 4,490 |
| Idaho | $36K | -3% | 8,130 |
| Tennessee | $36K | -3% | 28,220 |
| South Dakota | $36K | -3% | 1,890 |
| Georgia | $36K | -4% | 46,350 |
| South Carolina | $36K | -4% | 25,890 |
| Iowa | $36K | -5% | 12,270 |
| Ohio | $36K | -5% | 46,910 |
| North Carolina | $35K | -5% | 50,150 |
| Indiana | $35K | -6% | 26,960 |
| Kansas | $35K | -6% | 11,620 |
| New Mexico | $35K | -6% | 7,810 |
| Texas | $35K | -7% | 126,620 |
| Kentucky | $35K | -7% | 13,510 |
| Alabama | $32K | -14% | 16,260 |
| Oklahoma | $32K | -15% | 17,050 |
| Arkansas | $30K | -19% | 11,270 |
| West Virginia | $30K | -21% | 6,450 |
| Mississippi | $30K | -21% | 10,770 |
| Louisiana | $29K | -22% | 14,910 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track cooks, restaurant salary changes
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Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, restaurant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Gulfport-Biloxi?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $31K, rent takes 54.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,140/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cooks, restaurants in Gulfport-Biloxi?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, restaurants typically earn — is $23K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,389/month. At HUD’s $1,140/month FMR, rent would take 82% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is cooks, restaurant a high-paying job in Gulfport-Biloxi?
Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $31K here vs. $37K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Gulfport-Biloxi compare to the national average for cooks, restaurants?
Gulfport-Biloxi pays $31K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s -18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.01), the purchasing-power equivalent is $34K — below the national median.
How much do cooks, restaurants make in Gulfport-Biloxi, MS?
The median is $30,590 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $23,150, and experienced cooks, restaurants can clear $37,150. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $31K enough to live in Gulfport-Biloxi?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,098/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,140/month, which eats 54.3% 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 Gulfport-Biloxi?
Gulfport-Biloxi has a Regional Price Parity of 90.01 (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 $33,985 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.