Cooks, Restaurant salary
in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
- Middle 50%
- $31,680–$37,320
- vs U.S. median
- -5%
- Metro rank
- #282 of 527
Cooks, Restaurant in the Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL metro earn a median of $35,600 a year, based on BLS estimates for 2,080 jobs (May 2025). That is 5% below the U.S. median of $37,390 and 4% below the FL statewide median of $37,020. It ranks #282 of 527 metros with published figures for this job.
- SOURCEBLS OEWS, May 2025
- SAMPLE2,080 jobs (estimate)
- SCOPEall employers, all experience levels
- PERIODMay 2025 estimates
Full percentile breakdown
BLS · metro vs U.S.
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Cooks, Restaurant pay in other FL metros
8 metros · BLS
| Metro | Median |
|---|---|
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | $41,220 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $37,970 |
| South Florida nonmetropolitan area | $37,820 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $37,440 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $37,240 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $37,010 |
| North Florida nonmetropolitan area | $36,970 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $36,920 |
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RELATED JOBS IN LAKELAND
Questions
What is the average Cooks, Restaurant salary in Lakeland?
The BLS median is $35,600 a year (May 2025). Half of the 2,080 jobs pay between $31,680 and $37,320. The 10th percentile is $28,900 and the 90th is $44,290.
Is Lakeland a high-paying metro for Cooks, Restaurant?
That is 5% below the U.S. median of $37,390 and 4% below the FL statewide median of $37,020. It ranks #282 of 527 U.S. metros with published BLS figures for this job.
How much do Cooks, Restaurant make an hour in Lakeland?
About $17.12 an hour at the median (the BLS annual figure of $35,600 divided by 2,080 hours, the conversion BLS uses). The middle half earn about $15.23–$17.94 an hour. Straight-time pay, before overtime and shift differentials.
Does this include experience levels?
BLS figures cover all experience levels together. Employer filings carry a DOL wage level, which the free checker can filter by (approximate).
Sources: U.S. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (national + state) (metro area estimates, all employers); employer rows from U.S. DOL OFLC LCA Disclosure Data, FY2026 Q3 (LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx). Base pay only. Estimates can have sampling error, especially for smaller metros.