Chefs and Head Cooks pay in Florida
$61,720avg. a year
$29.67 an hour · 19,670 employed
Chefs and Head Cooks in Florida earn an average of $61,720 a year. That is $4,980 (7%) less than the U.S. average of $66,700. The best-paying metro area is Naples-Marco Island, FL at $74,320.
$58,240Median pay
$29.67Average hourly
+12%Avg. pay since 2020
#34Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying Florida metro areas
Average pay for chefs and head cooks by metro area. Swipe to see all 22.
1640 jobs
Naples-Marco Island, FL
$74,320
$35.73 an hour
22,360 jobs
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
$67,370
$32.39 an hour
3880 jobs
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL
$64,770
$31.14 an hour
4340 jobs
Port St. Lucie, FL
$62,060
$29.84 an hour
51,230 jobs
Jacksonville, FL
$61,250
$29.45 an hour
61,720 jobs
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
$61,170
$29.41 an hour
7130 jobs
Wildwood-The Villages, FL
$60,610
$29.14 an hour
88,210 jobs
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
$60,190
$28.94 an hour
9660 jobs
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL
$60,010
$28.85 an hour
10380 jobs
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL
$59,240
$28.48 an hour
11200 jobs
Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL
$58,780
$28.26 an hour
12120 jobs
Ocala, FL
$58,670
$28.21 an hour
13330 jobs
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL
$57,270
$27.53 an hour
14220 jobs
Tallahassee, FL
$56,820
$27.32 an hour
15160 jobs
Punta Gorda, FL
$56,380
$27.11 an hour
16270 jobs
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
$55,960
$26.90 an hour
17280 jobs
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
$55,900
$26.87 an hour
18200 jobs
Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL
$53,770
$25.85 an hour
19280 jobs
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL
$53,430
$25.69 an hour
2040 jobs
Sebring, FL
$52,690
$25.33 an hour
21250 jobs
Gainesville, FL
$52,400
$25.19 an hour
2270 jobs
Homosassa Springs, FL
$48,170
$23.16 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Chefs and Head Cooks pay in Florida, charted
Pay over time
Florida, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where Florida chefs and head cooks work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · Florida highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $60k$60k–$66k$66k–$70k$70k+Florida
Florida vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $66,700 | $32.07 |
| Florida | $61,720 | $29.67 |
| Georgia | $70,450 | $33.87 |
| Alabama | $63,720 | $30.64 |
Related jobs in Florida
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$46,600
- Fast Food and Counter Workers$30,940
- Waiters and Waitresses$41,840
- Cooks, Restaurant$38,320
- Food Preparation Workers$35,210
- Bartenders$42,280
Average pay, Florida, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do chefs and head cooks make in Florida?
The average is $61,720 a year, and the median is $58,240. That is $4,980 (7%) less than the U.S. average of $66,700.
What is the hourly wage in Florida?
$29.67 an hour on average; the median is $28.00.
Where in Florida do they earn the most?
Naples-Marco Island, FL ($74,320), followed by Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL ($67,370). The lowest average among 22 metro areas with data is Homosassa Springs, FL ($48,170).
How does Florida rank?
Florida ranks #34 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 35-1011. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national chefs and head cooks page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.