Cooks, Restaurant pay in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach

In Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach (FL), the median pay for cooks, restaurant is $17.75 an hour ($36,920 a year). About 37,210 people work in this job there.

$17.75Median hourly pay
$30,780–$44,060Middle half of workers, yearly
37,210People in this job in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach (FL)

That is about the same as the U.S. median ($37,390). It is about the same as the Florida median ($37,020).

Pay range for cooks, restaurant in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach (FL)

Earns more thanHourlyYearly
10% of workers$13.99$29,090
25% of workers$14.80$30,780
Half of workers (median)$17.75$36,920
75% of workers$21.18$44,060
90% of workers$22.67$47,160

Cooks, Restaurant pay in Florida metro areas

Metro areaMedian yearly payPeople in this job
Naples-Marco Island$41,2203,650
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$37,97019,960
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota$37,4404,780
Cape Coral-Fort Myers$37,2404,330
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$37,01018,640
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach (this page)$36,92037,210
Jacksonville$36,7707,770
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville$36,7502,890
Punta Gorda$36,730990
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin$36,6002,400
Port St. Lucie$36,5402,240
Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor$36,490870
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach$36,3503,280
Wildwood-The Villages$35,920560
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent$35,8002,260
Gainesville$35,7601,320
Panama City-Panama City Beach$35,7201,310
Lakeland-Winter Haven$35,6002,080
Ocala$35,5001,260
Homosassa Springs$34,720530
Tallahassee$34,6101,520
Sebring$34,530300

Florida unemployment rate: 4.5% (August 2026), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Education, experience and outlook for cooks, restaurant

  • Typical education to start: No formal educational credential (BLS)
  • Related work experience most have: 3 to 6 months (O*NET)
  • Experience usually needed to start: Less than 5 years (BLS)
  • Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
  • Job outlook: +12.1% over ten years, much faster than average · about 218,600 openings a year (BLS)

Related jobs in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach (FL)

JobMedian yearly pay
Food Preparation Workers$36,090
Chefs and Head Cooks$57,940
Cooks, Fast Food$30,990
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria$36,480
Bakers$36,880
Butchers and Meat Cutters$39,140

Other job titles for this job

CookFRY CookGrill CookLine CookSpecialty CookPrep CookBack Line CookBanquet CookBreakfast CookForeign Food Specialty CookHotel CookLarder Cook

Open cooks, restaurant jobs on JAI Bot

No open jobs in this field right now. Search all jobs or set up a free job alert.

Hiring cooks, restaurant? Use the free hiring guide for a job description and interview questions, then post the job on JAI Bot. Every job shows typical pay to job seekers.

Post a job freeFind jobsCheck pay for any job
Add this pay figure to your website (free)

Career sites, schools and workforce boards can show this typical pay on their own pages. Copy this code into your page:

<div data-jaibot-pay></div>
<script src="https://www.jaibot.ai/widget/pay/cooks-restaurant/florida/miami-fort-lauderdale-west-palm-beach.js" async></script>

It updates by itself when new government figures come out.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. Figures are for wage and salary workers and do not include the self-employed. The median is the middle wage: half earn more, half earn less. Other job titles: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.