Chefs and Head Cooks Salary
Chefs and Head Cooks in Colorado make a median of $65,400 a year, or about $31.44 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $93K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.71), that's roughly $63,060 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,832/month, about 41.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Colorado. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $65K actually covers in Colorado, month by month
About chefs and head cooks
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What this looks like in Colorado
Chefs and head cooks pay in Colorado tracks closely to the national median, $65K locally vs. $62K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,832/month, which is 42.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.71) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Colorado
Entry-level chefs and head cooks (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $65K. Top earners bring in $93K or more, a $47K spread from bottom to top.
Chefs and Head Cooks salary by metro in Colorado
7 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $67K | +2% | 1,820 |
| Greeley | $63K | -4% | 100 |
| Grand Junction | $62K | -5% | 110 |
| Boulder | $62K | -6% | 280 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland | $61K | -7% | 250 |
| Pueblo | $61K | -7% | 70 |
| Colorado Springs | $59K | -10% | 490 |
Compare to other states
Track chefs and head cooks salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Colorado numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a chefs and head cook afford a 2BR apartment alone in Colorado?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $65K, rent takes 42.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,832/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for chefs and head cooks in Colorado?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chefs and head cooks typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,102/month. At HUD’s $1,832/month FMR, rent would take 59% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is chefs and head cook a high-paying job in Colorado?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $65K locally vs. $62K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Colorado compare to the national average for chefs and head cooks?
Colorado pays $65K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.71), the purchasing-power equivalent is $63K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do chefs and head cooks make in Colorado?
The median is $65,400 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,330, and experienced chefs and head cooks can clear $93,270. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $65K enough to live in Colorado?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,293/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,832/month, which eats 42.7% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a chefs and head cooks salary go in Colorado?
Colorado has a Regional Price Parity of 103.71 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median chefs and head cooks salary is worth about $63,060 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do chefs and head cooks get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.