Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Colorado
The median for cooks, restaurant in Colorado is $41,600 a year, somewhat above the national $37,390 (+11%); the state ranks 10th of 51 states by median. That is 30% less than the median across all occupations in Colorado ($59,800). Colorado pays more than every neighbouring state: Arizona, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Kansas, New Mexico and Oklahoma range from $31,720 in Oklahoma to $38,670 in Arizona. Colorado employs 30,600 cooks, restaurant, 10.6 per 1,000 jobs, the 14th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.17 is close to the national share.
Colorado vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $16.63 | $17.76 | $20.00 | $21.99 | $23.87 | $20.37 | 30,600 | 10.65 | 1.17 |
| Annual | $34,590 | $36,930 | $41,600 | $45,740 | $49,650 | $42,360 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $13.80 | $16.35 | $17.98 | $21.45 | $23.03 | $18.62 | 1,409,890 | – | – |
| Annual | $28,700 | $34,010 | $37,390 | $44,620 | $47,900 | $38,730 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 10th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 14th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.17
- Jobs per 1,000
- 10.65
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Colorado's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in Colorado
7 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching Colorado publish a row for cooks, restaurant, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $21.33 | $44,370 | $36,340 | $49,880 | 15,410 | 9.58 | 1.06 |
| Boulder, CO | $20.30 | $42,220 | $34,340 | $54,600 | 2,190 | 11.41 | 1.26 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $18.45 | $38,370 | $34,450 | $47,400 | 1,930 | 11.40 | 1.26 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $18.27 | $38,000 | $33,050 | $46,570 | 3,330 | 10.52 | 1.16 |
| Greeley, CO | $17.74 | $36,900 | $32,180 | $47,440 | 1,000 | 8.39 | 0.93 |
| Grand Junction, CO | $17.51 | $36,420 | $31,030 | $45,810 | 690 | 10.21 | 1.13 |
| Pueblo, CO | $17.27 | $35,920 | $31,220 | $44,990 | 580 | 9.33 | 1.03 |
| Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area | $20.69 | $43,030 | $35,290 | $58,050 | 3,150 | 23.79 | 2.62 |
| Southwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area | $18.67 | $38,830 | $31,840 | $47,550 | 1,680 | 15.46 | 1.71 |
| Eastern and Southern Colorado nonmetropolitan area | $17.36 | $36,120 | $30,930 | $48,020 | 620 | 8.83 | 0.97 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Cooks, Restaurant (every state ranked) and the Colorado wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Colorado estimates.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.