BLS metro-level wage data places Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN at a median of $37,370 per year ($17.97/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $37,450, Louisville/Jefferson County pays same as, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 2,700 cooks, institution and cafeterias are employed across the Louisville/Jefferson County MSA in SOC 35-2012.

The Louisville/Jefferson County pay distribution spans from $29,710 at the 10th percentile to $46,670 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 $34,040 and the 75th at $44,690, so half of Louisville/Jefferson County-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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN 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 KY data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.