Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Crestview, FL

Cooks, Restaurant in the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL metro area earn a median $36,600 a year — 2% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $31,588 take-home, or $2,632 a month.

Median salary
$36,600
$17.60 per hour
Typical range
$30,020 – $46,560
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Crestview, FL
2,400
2.11× national concentration
▲0.5%
Pay trend: The median for cooks, restaurant in Crestview, FL rose from $36,400 (May 2024) to $36,600 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 1.9%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median cooks, restaurant salary in Crestview, FL. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Cooks, Restaurant in Crestview, FL
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$31,588
per year · effective tax rate 13.7%
$2,632Monthly
$1,316Twice a month
$1,215Every 2 weeks
$15.19Hourly
  • Federal income tax$2,212
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,269
  • Medicare (1.45%)$531
  • Florida income tax$0
  • Take-home pay$31,588

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 0.00% state

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Cooks, Restaurant pay by experience in Crestview, FL

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$30,020$14.43$26,301$2,192
25th percentile$35,510$17.07$30,712$2,559
Median (50th)$36,600$17.60$31,588$2,632
75th percentile$42,990$20.67$36,722$3,060
90th percentile (top earners)$46,560$22.38$39,591$3,299

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Florida resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $36,600 buys in Crestview, FL

Prices in Crestview, FL are 3.0% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 5% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median cooks, restaurant's $31,588 take-home pay has the buying power of $32,555 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,492
57% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,673
64% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$1,140
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Crestview, FL has 2.1× the national concentration of cooks, restaurant jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.

Best-paying cities for cooks, restaurant, adjusted for cost of living

Crestview, FL ranks #36 of 101 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Spokane, WA $44,230$37,719$37,589
2Portland, ME $46,560$37,630$36,943
3Seattle, WA $47,730$40,531$36,471
4San Jose, CA $47,170$38,588$34,946
5Worcester, MA $44,250$35,742$34,863
6Denver, CO $44,370$36,587$34,588
7Omaha, NE $37,840$31,742$34,536
8Atlantic City, NJ $40,250$33,830$34,221
36Crestview, FL$36,600$31,588$32,555

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 101 metros →

About the job: cooks, restaurant

Prepare, season, and cook dishes such as soups, meats, vegetables, or desserts in restaurants. May order supplies, keep records and accounts, price items on menu, or plan menu.

Typical education
No formal educational credential
Work experience
Less than 5 years
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Job outlook, 2025–35
+12.1% (much faster than average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Cooks, Restaurant salaries elsewhere in Florida

Frequently asked questions

How much does a cooks, restaurant make in Crestview, FL?

The median cooks, restaurant salary in the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL metro area is $36,600 a year, or about $17.60 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $35,510 and $42,990.

What is a cooks, restaurant’s take-home pay in Crestview, FL?

On the median $36,600 salary, a single filer living in Florida takes home about $31,588 a year ($2,632 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare in 2026.

Is Crestview, FL a good place to work as a cooks, restaurant?

Pay here is 2% below the national median of $37,390. Local prices are 3.0% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $32,555 would in a typical U.S. city. Crestview, FL ranks #36 of 101 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a cooks, restaurant afford rent in Crestview, FL?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Crestview, FL is $1,492 a month ($1,673 for two bedrooms) — 57% of a median cooks, restaurant’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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