SOC 35-2012 · Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL metro

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria Salary in Palm Bay, FL

The average salary for cooks, institution and cafeteria in Palm Bay, Florida is $36,840 a year ($17.71 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $36,510: half of the 420 people in this job in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 5% less than the U.S. average for this job ($38,810).

$36,840average per year

$17.71 / hourMedian $36,510Take-home ≈ $31,781

  • $31K10th
  • $32K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $38K75th
  • $45K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

420people in this job
-5%vs U.S. average
#16 of 22Florida metros
100cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay range in Palm Bay

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $30,720 a year or less, while the top 10% make $44,890 or more. The middle half of cooks, institution and cafeteria in Palm Bay earn between $32,300 and $38,480.

  • $31K10th
  • $32K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $38K75th
  • $45K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$36,840$3,070$17.71
Median$36,510$3,042$17.55
Entry level (25th percentile)$32,300$2,692$15.53
Experienced (75th percentile)$38,480$3,207$18.50

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay in Palm Bay vs. Florida and the U.S.

Cooks, institution and cafeteria in Palm Bay earn 3% less than the Florida average ($38,170) and 5% less than the U.S. average ($38,810). At the median the gap is -3% against the U.S. median of $37,450.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Palm Bay$36,840$36,510$30,720$44,890420
Florida$38,170$36,250$31,650$46,52025,100
United States$38,810$37,450$28,480$49,670441,050

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salary after taxes in Palm Bay

On the average salary of $36,840, a single filer in Palm Bay takes home about $31,781 a year, or $2,648 a month and $1,222 every two weeks. Taxes take 14% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

Florida paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Palm Bay a good place for cooks, institution and cafeteria? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Palm Bay area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 100.0), so the average $36,840 buys what about $36,838 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Palm Bay ($49,030). A typical home costs $344,841, or 9.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $36,840 is worth in another city

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salary in other Florida cities

Palm Bay ranks 16th of 22 Florida metro areas for this job; Naples pays the most ($44,380).

All Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salaries in Florida

Highest-paying cities for cooks, institution and cafeteria

Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($57,770).

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salary by city

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Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salary in Palm Bay: questions

How much do cooks, institution and cafeteria make an hour in Palm Bay?

$17.71 an hour on average, and $17.55 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level cooks, institution and cafeteria salary in Palm Bay?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $30,720 a year and the 25th percentile is $32,300, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the cooks, institution and cafeteria take-home pay in Palm Bay?

About $31,781 a year ($2,648 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $36,840. Florida has no state income tax.

Do cooks, institution and cafeteria earn more in Palm Bay than elsewhere?

The average here is 5% less than the U.S. average for this job ($38,810).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-2012; area Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL (37340). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.8%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.61, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.61).

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