SOC 35-2014 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Cooks, Restaurant — Sebastian
Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL · 10 metro areas compared
The median wage here is $36,490 a year, within a few percent of the national median of $37,390.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow much faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +14.9%
- Openings per year
- 250,700
- Typical entry-level education
- No formal educational credential
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
The median wage here is $36,490 a year, within a few percent of the national median of $37,390. Half of workers earn between $35,360 and $41,090. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $30,180 and the ninetieth at $44,980.
The area has 870 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 1.66 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Naples leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $41,220. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 196th of 234 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $30,180 | −19.3% |
| 25th | $35,360 | −5.4% |
| Median (50th) | $36,490 | −2.4% |
| 75th | $41,090 | +9.9% |
| 90th | $44,980 | +20.3% |
| Mean | $37,850 | +1.2% |
Other metro areas in Florida
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Naples | $41,220 | 3,650 | |
| 2 | Orlando | $37,970 | 19,960 | |
| 3 | North Port | $37,440 | 4,780 | |
| 4 | Cape Coral | $37,240 | 4,330 | |
| 5 | Tampa | $37,010 | 18,640 | |
| 6 | Miami | $36,920 | 37,210 | |
| 7 | Jacksonville | $36,770 | 7,770 | |
| 8 | Palm Bay | $36,750 | 2,890 | |
| 9 | Punta Gorda | $36,730 | 990 | |
| 10 | Crestview | $36,600 | 2,400 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Sebastian sit close to the national average, so $36,490 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.
Published median
$36,490as reported by BLSLocal price level
98.3US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$37,121US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $36,490 a year, 2.4% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $30,180 to $44,980 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 870 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Naples, at $41,220.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Cooks, Restaurant in Sebastian, FL?
The median annual wage is $36,490, or $17.54 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $37,390, so pay in Sebastian, FL is 2.4% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Sebastian, FL earns more than $44,980 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $30,180 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Naples, at $41,220 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 870 jobs in this occupation in Sebastian, FL. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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