BLS metro-level wage data places Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay in Grants Pass, OR at a median of $44,140 per year ($21.22/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $37,450, Grants Pass pays +18% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 120 cooks, institution and cafeterias are employed across the Grants Pass MSA in SOC 35-2012.

The Grants Pass pay distribution spans from $36,030 at the 10th percentile to $56,600 at the 90th — a 1.6× 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 $38,460 and the 75th at $49,290, so half of Grants Pass-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 Grants Pass, OR 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 OR data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.