SOC 35-2012 · Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL metro

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria Salary in Florence, AL

The average salary for cooks, institution and cafeteria in Florence, Alabama is $26,410 a year ($12.70 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $27,210: half of the 240 people in this job in the Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 32% less than the U.S. average for this job ($38,810).

$26,410average per year

$12.70 / hourMedian $27,210Take-home ≈ $22,353

  • $19K10th
  • $22K25th
  • $27KMedian
  • $29K75th
  • $35K90th

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

240people in this job
-32%vs U.S. average
#9 of 12Alabama metros
85cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay range in Florence

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $19,160 a year or less, while the top 10% make $35,200 or more. The middle half of cooks, institution and cafeteria in Florence earn between $22,030 and $29,160.

  • $19K10th
  • $22K25th
  • $27KMedian
  • $29K75th
  • $35K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$26,410$2,201$12.70
Median$27,210$2,268$13.08
Entry level (25th percentile)$22,030$1,836$10.59
Experienced (75th percentile)$29,160$2,430$14.02

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

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay in Florence vs. Alabama and the U.S.

Cooks, institution and cafeteria in Florence earn 5% less than the Alabama average ($27,870) and 32% less than the U.S. average ($38,810). At the median the gap is -27% against the U.S. median of $37,450.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Florence$26,410$27,210$19,160$35,200240
Alabama$27,870$27,120$20,040$37,9608,780
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 Florence

On the average salary of $26,410, a single filer in Florence takes home about $22,353 a year, or $1,863 a month and $860 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). City occupational taxes (for example in Birmingham and Gadsden) are not included.

Alabama paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Florence area are 15% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 84.8), so the average $26,410 buys what about $31,138 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Florence ($39,740). A typical home costs $216,659, or 8.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $26,410 is worth in another city

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salary in other Alabama cities

Florence ranks 9th of 12 Alabama metro areas for this job; Tuscaloosa pays the most ($31,620).

All Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salaries in Alabama

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 Florence: questions

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

$12.70 an hour on average, and $13.08 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $19,160 a year and the 25th percentile is $22,030, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $22,353 a year ($1,863 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $26,410. City occupational taxes (for example in Birmingham and Gadsden) are not included.

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

The average here is 32% 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 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL (22520). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.2%.
  • 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 state income tax (2026 rules). City occupational taxes (for example in Birmingham and Gadsden) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.48, this job is 1.5 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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