BLS metro-level wage data places Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI at a median of $38,980 per year ($18.74/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $37,450, Milwaukee-Waukesha pays +4% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 2,710 cooks, institution and cafeterias are employed across the Milwaukee-Waukesha MSA in SOC 35-2012.

The Milwaukee-Waukesha pay distribution spans from $34,430 at the 10th percentile to $48,240 at the 90th — a 1.4× 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 $35,620 and the 75th at $44,790, so half of Milwaukee-Waukesha-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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI 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 WI data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.