BLS metro-level wage data places Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay in North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL at a median of $37,620 per year ($18.09/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $37,450, North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota pays same as, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 1,030 cooks, institution and cafeterias are employed across the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota MSA in SOC 35-2012.

The North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota pay distribution spans from $31,540 at the 10th percentile to $46,870 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 $31,540 and the 75th at $41,870, so half of North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota-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 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, 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.