BLS metro-level wage data places Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay in Trenton-Princeton, NJ at a median of $42,960 per year ($20.65/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $37,450, Trenton-Princeton pays +15% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 460 cooks, institution and cafeterias are employed across the Trenton-Princeton MSA in SOC 35-2012.

The Trenton-Princeton pay distribution spans from $34,930 at the 10th percentile to $53,650 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 $37,370 and the 75th at $48,680, so half of Trenton-Princeton-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 Trenton-Princeton, NJ 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 NJ data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.