BLS metro-level wage data places Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH at a median of $48,530 per year ($23.33/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $37,450, Boston-Cambridge-Newton pays +30% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 5,310 cooks, institution and cafeterias are employed across the Boston-Cambridge-Newton MSA in SOC 35-2012.

The Boston-Cambridge-Newton pay distribution spans from $39,890 at the 10th percentile to $59,090 at the 90th — a 1.5× 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 $45,970 and the 75th at $54,910, so half of Boston-Cambridge-Newton-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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 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 MA data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.