Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria in the Merced Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay in Merced, CA at a median of $44,410 per year ($21.35/hr), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared with the national median of $37,450, the metro estimate is +19% above. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 190 cooks, institution and cafeteria are employed across the Merced MSA in SOC 35-2012.

The Merced pay distribution spans from $37,100 at the 10th percentile to $58,820 at the 90th, a 1.6× observed spread. Differences in specialization, employer, sector, location, credentials, schedule, and experience may all contribute, but OEWS does not isolate their effects. The 25th percentile sits at $38,700 and the 75th at $48,020, so half of Merced-based cooks, institution and cafeteria earn within that middle band.

Metro figures use establishment work location, not worker residence. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Merced, CA covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. OEWS includes straight-time pay, tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer health and retirement benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, signing bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. The same occupation's national profile, statewide CA estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.