Career Training Path › Culinary & pastry schools › Florida
Culinary & pastry schools in Florida
Florida has 73 accredited campuses awarding culinary credentials. If you finish and work as a chef in Florida, expect to start around $31,920–$43,680 and reach a median of $58,240 with experience; the top quarter earn $75,840 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025, Florida). Graduates of these Florida programs — every graduate, whatever job they took — earned a median of $20,695 in their first year, against $24,208 nationally; that is the figure used to rank campuses below.
What chefs and head cooks earn in Florida
$31,920starting (10th percentile)
$43,680early career (25th)
$58,240median, all experience
$75,840experienced (75th)
$92,300top earners (90th)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; 19,670 employed in Florida. National median: $62,470.
Campuses in Florida, ranked by what their graduates earned
73campuses in Florida
1,472credentials awarded / yr
$20,695median earnings, yr 1 (Florida)
$24,208median earnings, yr 1 (U.S.)
Cities: Avon ParkBradentonCape CoralClearwaterCoconut CreekCutler BayDavieDaytona BeachEustisFort LauderdaleFort MyersFort PierceFort Walton BeachFt. LauderdaleFt. MyersHollywoodImmokaleeInvernessJacksonvilleKey WestKissimmeeLakelandLargoLive OakMelbourneMiamiMiami BeachMiltonNaplesNew Port RicheyNicevilleOcalaOrange ParkOrlandoOrmond BeachPanama CityPensacolaPort CharlotteSaint AugustineSaint Petersburg
| Campus | City | Type | Grads / yr | Earnings, yr 1 | Program debt | Completion | Cost / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Dade College | Miami | Public college | 128 | $28,117 | $10,500 | not reported | not reported |
| Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale | Fort Lauderdale | non-profit university | 49 | $25,910 | $18,500 | not reported | not reported |
| Valencia College | Orlando | Public college | 399 | $24,166 | $11,422 | not reported | not reported |
| Florida Education Institute | Miami | for-profit career college | 102 | $22,257 | $9,500 | 74% | $40,974 |
| Sheridan Technical College | Hollywood | Public technical college | 27 | $20,695 | not reported | 70% | $12,784 |
| Pinellas Technical College-Clearwater | Clearwater | Public technical college | 32 | $19,375 | not reported | 52% | $26,909 |
| Atlantic Technical College | Coconut Creek | Public technical college | 49 | $16,935 | not reported | 65% | $15,131 |
| Withlacoochee Technical College | Inverness | Public technical college | 8 | $15,131 | not reported | 61% | $12,540 |
| Lively Technical College | Tallahassee | Public technical college | 21 | $10,752 | not reported | 51% | $15,490 |
| Mariano Moreno Culinary Institute | Miami | for-profit career college | 66 | not reported | not reported | 64% | $18,766 |
| William T McFatter Technical College | Davie | Public technical college | 66 | not reported | not reported | 66% | $17,061 |
| Indian River State College | Fort Pierce | Public college | 54 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Florida State College at Jacksonville | Jacksonville | Public college | 37 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Pensacola State College | Pensacola | Public college | 28 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Charlotte Technical College | Port Charlotte | Public technical college | 27 | not reported | not reported | 51% | not reported |
| Daytona State College | Daytona Beach | Public college | 27 | not reported | $11,279 | not reported | not reported |
| Hillsborough Community College | Tampa | Public college | 25 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Marion Technical College | Ocala | Public technical college | 25 | not reported | not reported | 80% | $13,021 |
| Orange Technical College-West Campus | Winter Garden | Public technical college | 25 | not reported | not reported | 71% | $18,009 |
| Gulf Coast State College | Panama City | Public college | 24 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| First Coast Technical College | Saint Augustine | Public technical college | 23 | not reported | not reported | 77% | $14,288 |
| Suncoast Technical College | Sarasota | Public technical college | 22 | not reported | not reported | 50% | $24,456 |
| Broward College | Fort Lauderdale | Public college | 20 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Manatee Technical College | Bradenton | Public technical college | 20 | not reported | not reported | 64% | $4,193 |
| Lake Technical College | Eustis | Public technical college | 19 | not reported | not reported | 47% | $25,443 |
| Fort Myers Technical College | Fort Myers | Public technical college | 15 | not reported | not reported | 81% | not reported |
| Erwin Technical College | Tampa | Public technical college | 14 | not reported | not reported | 80% | $10,731 |
| Lorenzo Walker Technical College | Naples | Public technical college | 12 | not reported | not reported | 99% | $14,698 |
| Orange Technical College-South Campus | Orlando | Public technical college | 11 | not reported | not reported | 35% | $14,209 |
| Cape Coral Technical College | Cape Coral | Public technical college | 9 | not reported | not reported | 83% | $2,297 |
| Northwest Florida State College | Niceville | Public college | 9 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Pinellas Technical College-St. Petersburg | Saint Petersburg | Public technical college | 9 | not reported | not reported | 60% | $30,586 |
| Lindsey Hopkins Technical College | Miami | Public technical college | 8 | not reported | not reported | 66% | $9,855 |
| Osceola Technical College | Kissimmee | Public technical college | 8 | not reported | not reported | 47% | $10,001 |
| Eastern Florida State College | Melbourne | Public college | 7 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Riveroak Technical College | Live Oak | Public technical college | 7 | not reported | not reported | 75% | $17,285 |
| Okaloosa Technical College | Fort Walton Beach | Public technical college | 6 | not reported | not reported | 82% | $21,680 |
| Fred K Marchman Technical College | New Port Richey | Public technical college | 5 | not reported | not reported | 71% | $11,021 |
| Immokalee Technical College | Immokalee | Public technical college | 5 | not reported | not reported | 86% | $18,551 |
| Robert Morgan Educational Center and Technical College | Miami | Public technical college | 5 | not reported | not reported | 13% | $14,951 |
| Radford M Locklin Technical College | Milton | Public technical college | 4 | not reported | not reported | 63% | $9,088 |
| Ridge Technical College | Winter Haven | Public technical college | 4 | not reported | not reported | 99% | not reported |
| George Stone Technical College | Pensacola | Public technical college | 3 | not reported | not reported | 36% | not reported |
| Seminole State College of Florida | Sanford | Public college | 2 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| South Florida State College | Avon Park | Public college | 2 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| The College of the Florida Keys | Key West | Public college | 2 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Traviss Technical College | Lakeland | Public technical college | 2 | not reported | not reported | 90% | not reported |
| 786-Bartend Bartending School | Miami | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| ABC Bartending Schools | Ft. Lauderdale | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| ABC Bartending Schools | Miami | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| ABC Bartending Schools | West Palm Beach | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| ABC Bartending Schools | Orlando | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| ABC Bartending Schools | Jacksonville | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| ABC Bartending Schools | Tampa | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| ABC Bartending Schools | Miami Beach | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| American Bartending School | Tampa | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Arc Educates | Sunrise | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Arc Tampa Bay Culinary Institute, The | Clearwater | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Clara White Mission Training Center | Jacksonville | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Elite Bartending School Orlando | Orlando | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Elite Bartending School Wynwood | Miami | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Elite Bartending School and Event Staffing | Miami Beach | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Elite Bartending School and Event Staffing Ft. Lauderdale | Ft. Lauderdale | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Elite Bartending School of Southwest Florida | Ft. Myers | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Florida Bartending School | Orange Park | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Florida Bartending School | Melbourne | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Florida Bartending School | Largo | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Florida Bartending School | West Palm Beach | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Florida Bartending School | Ormond Beach | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| I G A Culinary School | Miami | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Northbridge University | Kissimmee | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Northbridge University | Cutler Bay | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Second Harvest Food Bank Culinary Training Program | Orlando | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
Earnings are median wages and self-employment income reported to the IRS (W-2 and Schedule SE) for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled, measured in the calendar year after finishing. They are pay only: health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits are not included.
Ranked by median earnings of this program's graduates one year after completion (College Scorecard field-of-study, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026); campuses without a reported figure follow, by credentials awarded. "Program debt" is the median federal loan debt for graduates of this program at this campus. Completion is the campus-wide 150%-of-time rate. "Not reported" means the federal file suppresses the value for privacy.
The Path
Nine months to a paycheck that AI can't take.
A free weekly newsletter for people choosing a hands-on career: trades, technical and healthcare.
Subscribe →