BLS metro-level wage data places Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay in Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY at a median of $43,550 per year ($20.94/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $37,450, Albany-Schenectady-Troy pays +16% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 920 cooks, institution and cafeterias are employed across the Albany-Schenectady-Troy MSA in SOC 35-2012.

The Albany-Schenectady-Troy pay distribution spans from $36,400 at the 10th percentile to $52,070 at the 90th — a 1.4× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $38,580 and the 75th at $47,420, so half of Albany-Schenectady-Troy-based cooks, institution and cafeterias earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide NY data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.