SOC 35-2014 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Cooks, Restaurant — Colorado
Colorado · 7 metro areas compared
The median wage for Cooks, Restaurant in Colorado is $41,600 per year, 11.3% above the national median of $37,390.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
Salary overview
The median wage for Cooks, Restaurant in Colorado is $41,600 per year, 11.3% above the national median of $37,390. Pay ranges from under $34,590 at the tenth percentile to more than $49,650 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $36,930 to $45,740.
Employment stands at 30,600, or 10.6 jobs per thousand held locally. Among the 51 states with published data for this occupation, Colorado ranks 10th by median wage. Denver leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $44,370. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 673rd of 738 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $34,590 | −7.5% |
| 25th | $36,930 | −1.2% |
| Median (50th) | $41,600 | +11.3% |
| 75th | $45,740 | +22.3% |
| 90th | $49,650 | +32.8% |
| Mean | $42,360 | +13.3% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Colorado
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denver | $44,370 | 15,410 | |
| 2 | Boulder | $42,220 | 2,190 | |
| 3 | Fort Collins | $38,370 | 1,930 | |
| 4 | Colorado Springs | $38,000 | 3,330 | |
| 5 | Greeley | $36,900 | 1,000 | |
| 6 | Grand Junction | $36,420 | 690 | |
| 7 | Pueblo | $35,920 | 580 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Colorado run 3.1% above the national average, so the median of $41,600 buys what $40,349 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 7.9% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$41,600as reported by BLSLocal price level
103.1US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$40,349US average = 100 · BEA 2024Key takeaways
- Median pay is $41,600 a year, 11.3% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $34,590 to $49,650 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 30,600 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 10th of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Denver, at $44,370.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Cooks, Restaurant in Colorado?
The median annual wage is $41,600, or $20.00 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $37,390, so pay in Colorado is 11.3% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Colorado earns more than $49,650 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $34,590 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Denver, at $44,370 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 30,600 jobs in this occupation in Colorado. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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