Port St. Lucie, FL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Port St. Lucie, FL?

In the Port St. Lucie, FL metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $36,540 a year ($17.57 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,240 of these jobs there. That is 21% below the $46,490 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $29,700 and $45,160; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Florida tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $31,540 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Port St. Lucie, FL at a glance

Median salary

$36,540$17.57 per hour · $3,045 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$29,700$14.28/hr
25th percentile$35,280$16.96/hr
75th percentile$42,440$20.41/hr
90th percentile$45,160$21.71/hr
Jobs in this metro2,240Location quotient 1.45 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here21% belowAll-jobs median $46,490
Against Florida1% belowStatewide median $37,020
Against the U.S.2% belowNational median $37,390

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Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Restaurant cook salary in Port St. Lucie, FL after taxes

$36,540
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,540
Net 86%
Fed 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$31,540After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,628Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,213Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,205 / yr
Florida state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,795 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Port St. Lucie, FL, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Port St. Lucie, FL metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What restaurant cooks earned in the Port St. Lucie, FL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (FL)
10th percentile$14.28/hr$2,475$29,700$26,044
25th percentile$16.96/hr$2,940$35,280$30,527
MedianMedian$17.57/hr$3,045$36,540$31,540
75th percentile$20.41/hr$3,537$42,440$36,281
90th percentile$21.71/hr$3,763$45,160$38,466

Is $36,540 a good salary in Port St. Lucie, FL?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for restaurant cooks next to both.

Median household income$74,514Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)100.20.2% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household49%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Do restaurant cooks pay tax on tips?

Yes, but less than before. This job is on the Treasury's list of tipped occupations, so from 2025 through 2028 up to $25,000 a year of reported tips comes off federal taxable income, shrinking above $150,000 of income ($300,000 joint). Social Security and Medicare are still owed on every tip, and most states still tax them. The BLS pay figures on this page already include tips as employers report them.

See what the tips deduction saves you →

Restaurant cook pay in Port St. Lucie, FL: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Port St. Lucie, FL?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Port St. Lucie, FL metro area was $36,540 in May 2025, about $3,045 a month or $17.57 an hour. Statewide, the Florida median for this job is $37,020, so the metro pays 1% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Port St. Lucie, FL?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Port St. Lucie, FL was $17.57 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.28 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.71.

How many restaurant cooks work in Port St. Lucie, FL?

BLS estimated 2,240 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 13.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.45 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Port St. Lucie, FL?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Port St. Lucie, FL run from $29,700 at the 10th percentile to $35,280 at the 25th, $42,440 at the 75th, and $45,160 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Port St. Lucie, FL?

On a median gross salary of $36,540, an estimated $31,540 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,213 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Florida in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,000 (an effective rate of 13.7%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Port St. Lucie, FL?

On the median annual salary of $36,540, gross monthly income is $3,045. After federal, FICA, and Florida state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,628 per month (or $1,213 every two weeks).

Is $36,540 a good salary in Port St. Lucie, FL?

At $36,540, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 49% of the Port St. Lucie, FL median household income ($74,514). It is 21% below the $46,490 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 100.2, so prices here run 0.2% above the U.S. average.