Chefs and Head Cooks Salary
Chefs and Head Cooks in Pueblo, CO make a median of $60,710 a year, or about $29.19 an hour. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $76K for experienced workers.
So what does $61K get you in Pueblo?
About chefs and head cooks
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chefs and head cooks in metros near Pueblo, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $67K | , |
| Colorado Springs | $59K | , |
| Boulder | $62K | , |
| Fort Collins-Loveland | $61K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Pueblo, CO
Entry-level chefs and head cooks (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $76K or more, a $33K 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 Pueblo numbers change.
Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
Can a chefs and head cook afford a 2BR apartment alone in Pueblo?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 50.9% 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 $1,200/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 Pueblo?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chefs and head cooks typically earn — is $43K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,566/month.
Is chefs and head cook a high-paying job in Pueblo?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $61K locally vs. $62K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Pueblo compare to the national average for chefs and head cooks?
Pueblo pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s -3%.
How much do chefs and head cooks make in Pueblo, CO?
The median is $60,710 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,760, and experienced chefs and head cooks can clear $76,060. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Pueblo?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,012/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,044/month, which eats 50.9% 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 Pueblo?
Pueblo 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 $60,710 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.