Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria in Lakeland-Winter Haven

BLS metro-level wage data places Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL at a median of $36,250 per year ($17.43/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $37,450, Lakeland-Winter Haven pays 3% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 1,580 cooks, institution and cafeterias are employed across the Lakeland-Winter Haven MSA in SOC 35-2012.

The Lakeland-Winter Haven pay distribution spans from $30,810 at the 10th percentile to $46,360 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 $35,600 and the 75th at $43,040, so half of Lakeland-Winter Haven-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 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL 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 FL data, and peer-metro comparisons, a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.