BLS metro-level wage data places Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay in Memphis, TN-MS-AR at a median of $33,170 per year ($15.95/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $37,450, Memphis pays 11% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 1,530 cooks, institution and cafeterias are employed across the Memphis MSA in SOC 35-2012.

The Memphis pay distribution spans from $25,170 at the 10th percentile to $45,950 at the 90th — a 1.8× 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 $29,740 and the 75th at $37,260, so half of Memphis-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 Memphis, TN-MS-AR 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 TN data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.