Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria in the Rocky Mount Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay in Rocky Mount, NC at a median of $33,560 per year ($16.14/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 10% below. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 120 cooks, institution and cafeteria are employed across the Rocky Mount MSA in SOC 35-2012.

The Rocky Mount pay distribution spans from $24,560 at the 10th percentile to $39,370 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 $28,700 and the 75th at $36,660, so half of Rocky Mount-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 Rocky Mount, NC 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 NC estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.