Cooks, Restaurant Salary
Cooks, Restaurants in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL make a median of $36,920 a year, or about $17.75 an hour. The range runs from $29K at the entry level to $47K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 114.16), so that salary is closer to $32,341 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,436/month, about 91.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $37K get you in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach’s Regional Price Parity (114.16). 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach
Cooks, restaurant pay in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach tracks closely to the national median, $37K locally vs. $37K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,436/month, which is 92.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 14% above the national average (BEA RPP 114.16), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cooks, restaurants in metros near Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $38K | $37K |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $37K | $37K |
| Jacksonville | $37K | $37K |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota | $37K | $37K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
Entry-level cooks, restaurants (10th percentile) start around $29K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $47K or more, a $18K 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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, restaurant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 92.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,436/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cooks, restaurants in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, restaurants typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,745/month. At HUD’s $2,436/month FMR, rent would take 140% 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $37K locally vs. $37K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach compare to the national average for cooks, restaurants?
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 114.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $32K — below the national median.
How much do cooks, restaurants make in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?
The median is $36,920 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,090, and experienced cooks, restaurants can clear $47,160. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,642/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,436/month, which eats 92.2% 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach has a Regional Price Parity of 114.16 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median cooks, restaurant salary is worth about $32,341 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.