Restaurant cook pay in Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL at a glance
Median salary
$37,010$17.79 per hour · $3,084 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Restaurant cook salary in Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL after taxes
Restaurant cooks pay range in Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (FL) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $13.80/hr | $2,392 | $28,700 | $25,240 |
| 25th percentile | $16.96/hr | $2,940 | $35,280 | $30,527 |
| MedianMedian | $17.79/hr | $3,084 | $37,010 | $31,918 |
| 75th percentile | $19.89/hr | $3,448 | $41,380 | $35,429 |
| 90th percentile | $21.48/hr | $3,723 | $44,670 | $38,072 |
Is $37,010 a good salary in Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL?
It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for restaurant cooks next to both.
Restaurant cooks pay in Florida and across the U.S.
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.
Restaurant cook pay in Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL: common questions
What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?
The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area was $37,010 in May 2025, about $3,084 a month or $17.79 an hour. Statewide, the Florida median for this job is $37,020, so the metro pays about the same as the state.
What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?
The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL was $17.79 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.80 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.48.
How many restaurant cooks work in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?
BLS estimated 18,640 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 12.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.42 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?
BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL run from $28,700 at the 10th percentile to $35,280 at the 25th, $41,380 at the 75th, and $44,670 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?
On a median gross salary of $37,010, an estimated $31,918 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,228 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Florida in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,092 (an effective rate of 13.8%).
How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?
On the median annual salary of $37,010, gross monthly income is $3,084. After federal, FICA, and Florida state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,660 per month (or $1,228 every two weeks).
Is $37,010 a good salary in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?
At $37,010, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 49.7% of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL median household income ($74,392). It is 24% below the $48,940 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 100.9, so prices here run 0.9% above the U.S. average.