Chef, Cook and Baker
SOC 35-1011
⚠⚠⚠ No kitchen job needs a credential to start: restaurant cooks and bakers learn on the job, and a chef needs a high school diploma plus five or more years of experience. ⚠⚠ The pay step is from cook ($37,020 Florida median) to chef or head cook ($58,240), and it takes experience rather than a certificate. Florida's 1,200-hour culinary programme is built from courses named after the jobs (Cook, Restaurant, then Chef/Head Cook), and this page explains what it is worth.
Cosmetologist, Barber, Nail and Skin Care Specialist
SOC 39-5012
⚠⚠ A licensed trade: Florida law sets the training hours, 1,200 for a cosmetologist and 900 for a barber, and both licences need an exam. ⚠⚠⚠ Most people in it work for themselves (BLS: 80% of barbers, 48% of hairdressers), and the wage figures leave them out. Among employees, a Florida hairdresser's median is $29,530 and a barber's $49,410, yet Florida trains six cosmetologists for every barber. This page compares the four licences and what the programmes actually run.