Chefs and Head Cooks Salary
Chefs and Head Cooks in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO make a median of $66,970 a year, or about $32.2 an hour. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $97K for experienced workers.
So what does $67K get you in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
About chefs and head cooks
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Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chefs and head cooks in metros near Denver-Aurora-Centennial, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado Springs | $59K | , |
| Boulder | $62K | , |
| Fort Collins-Loveland | $61K | , |
| Grand Junction | $62K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
Entry-level chefs and head cooks (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $67K. Top earners bring in $97K or more, a $48K spread from bottom to top.
Chefs and Head Cooks pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Chefs and Head Cooks salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $80K | +28% | 740 |
| Hawaii | $77K | +24% | 1,240 |
| District of Columbia | $76K | +22% | 2,020 |
| Washington | $76K | +22% | 5,320 |
| North Dakota | $75K | +20% | 100 |
| New Jersey | $74K | +19% | 9,100 |
| Wyoming | $73K | +17% | 240 |
| South Carolina | $72K | +15% | 2,650 |
| New York | $71K | +13% | 17,430 |
| Tennessee | $70K | +12% | 3,820 |
| Massachusetts | $70K | +11% | 6,000 |
| Georgia | $66K | +6% | 3,680 |
| Vermont | $65K | +5% | 610 |
| Colorado | $65K | +5% | 3,970 |
| California | $65K | +3% | 31,670 |
| Missouri | $64K | +3% | 1,750 |
| Connecticut | $64K | +3% | 3,080 |
| Pennsylvania | $64K | +2% | 9,170 |
| Oregon | $64K | +2% | 2,510 |
| New Hampshire | $63K | +1% | 1,170 |
| Virginia | $63K | +1% | 3,600 |
| Minnesota | $63K | +0% | 1,730 |
| Alabama | $62K | -0% | 1,000 |
| Nevada | $62K | -0% | 3,940 |
| New Mexico | $62K | -0% | 770 |
| Maryland | $62K | -1% | 3,220 |
| Delaware | $61K | -2% | 590 |
| Wisconsin | $61K | -2% | 1,860 |
| North Carolina | $61K | -2% | 4,920 |
| West Virginia | $61K | -2% | 350 |
| Nebraska | $61K | -3% | 540 |
| Michigan | $60K | -4% | 5,360 |
| Arizona | $60K | -4% | 4,080 |
| Utah | $59K | -5% | 1,740 |
| Illinois | $59K | -6% | 8,290 |
| Oklahoma | $59K | -6% | 1,430 |
| Kansas | $58K | -7% | 860 |
| Florida | $58K | -7% | 19,670 |
| Montana | $57K | -8% | 720 |
| Maine | $57K | -9% | 1,250 |
| Texas | $56K | -10% | 13,270 |
| Mississippi | $55K | -12% | 840 |
| Ohio | $54K | -14% | 4,000 |
| Alaska | $52K | -16% | 680 |
| Indiana | $52K | -16% | 1,940 |
| Idaho | $52K | -17% | 550 |
| South Dakota | $48K | -22% | 300 |
| Kentucky | $48K | -23% | 1,790 |
| Iowa | $48K | -23% | 1,640 |
| Arkansas | $46K | -26% | 880 |
| Louisiana | $46K | -27% | 1,990 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 states
Track chefs and head cooks salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Denver-Aurora-Centennial numbers change.
Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
Can a chefs and head cook afford a 2BR apartment alone in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $67K, rent takes 46.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,044/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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chefs and head cooks typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,993/month.
Is chefs and head cook a high-paying job in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $67K locally vs. $62K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Denver-Aurora-Centennial compare to the national average for chefs and head cooks?
Denver-Aurora-Centennial pays $67K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s +7%.
How much do chefs and head cooks make in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO?
The median is $66,970 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,890, and experienced chefs and head cooks can clear $97,410. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $67K enough to live in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,379/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,044/month, which eats 46.7% 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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
Denver-Aurora-Centennial has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median chefs and head cooks salary is worth about $66,970 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.