Cooks, Fast Food Salary
Cooks, Fast Foods in Boulder, CO make a median of $36,250 a year, or about $17.43 an hour. The range runs from $33K at the entry level to $45K for experienced workers.
So what does $36K get you in Boulder?
About cooks, fast foods
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Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cooks, fast foods in metros near Boulder, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $39K | , |
| Colorado Springs | $37K | , |
| Fort Collins-Loveland | $35K | , |
| Greeley | $36K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Boulder, CO
Entry-level cooks, fast foods (10th percentile) start around $33K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $45K or more, a $12K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Fast Food pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Cooks, Fast Food salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $48K | +56% | N/A |
| District of Columbia | $45K | +45% | 2,760 |
| California | $42K | +36% | 124,440 |
| Washington | $39K | +27% | 9,020 |
| New Hampshire | $39K | +25% | 1,330 |
| Vermont | $38K | +24% | 640 |
| Oregon | $38K | +23% | 4,300 |
| Massachusetts | $38K | +23% | N/A |
| Colorado | $37K | +19% | 9,220 |
| Maine | $36K | +18% | 1,470 |
| New York | $36K | +16% | 11,710 |
| Rhode Island | $35K | +14% | 1,210 |
| Connecticut | $35K | +13% | 3,630 |
| Illinois | $35K | +13% | 13,430 |
| Minnesota | $34K | +10% | 5,190 |
| Alaska | $34K | +10% | 2,250 |
| Nevada | $34K | +10% | 5,890 |
| Maryland | $33K | +8% | 10,960 |
| Arizona | $33K | +6% | 11,210 |
| New Jersey | $32K | +4% | 3,440 |
| Delaware | $32K | +3% | 850 |
| Utah | $32K | +3% | 4,400 |
| Idaho | $31K | +1% | 1,610 |
| South Dakota | $31K | +0% | 1,720 |
| Nebraska | $30K | -1% | 2,900 |
| North Dakota | $30K | -2% | 580 |
| New Mexico | $30K | -2% | 1,800 |
| Virginia | $30K | -3% | 12,520 |
| Florida | $30K | -3% | 22,600 |
| Missouri | $30K | -3% | 55,780 |
| Indiana | $30K | -3% | 6,830 |
| Michigan | $29K | -5% | 14,340 |
| Wyoming | $29K | -6% | 890 |
| Wisconsin | $29K | -6% | 6,900 |
| Pennsylvania | $29K | -7% | 9,240 |
| Kansas | $29K | -7% | 1,610 |
| Iowa | $29K | -8% | 8,290 |
| Tennessee | $28K | -8% | 14,020 |
| Texas | $28K | -8% | 36,240 |
| Alabama | $28K | -10% | 26,740 |
| Oklahoma | $28K | -10% | 8,860 |
| Arkansas | $28K | -10% | 7,860 |
| South Carolina | $27K | -11% | 9,110 |
| North Carolina | $27K | -12% | 81,980 |
| Georgia | $27K | -13% | 12,940 |
| Ohio | $27K | -13% | 12,310 |
| Montana | $27K | -13% | 820 |
| Louisiana | $25K | -19% | 3,000 |
| Kentucky | $24K | -24% | 21,750 |
| West Virginia | $23K | -25% | 16,490 |
| Mississippi | $23K | -27% | 11,170 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 states
Track cooks, fast food salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Boulder numbers change.
Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
What’s the entry-level salary for cooks, fast foods in Boulder?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, fast foods typically earn — is $33K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,003/month.
Is cooks, fast food a high-paying job in Boulder?
Local pay is 17% above the national median — $36K here vs. $31K nationally.
How does Boulder compare to the national average for cooks, fast foods?
Boulder pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $31K — that’s +17%.
How much do cooks, fast foods make in Boulder, CO?
The median is $36,250 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $33,380, and experienced cooks, fast foods can clear $45,380. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Boulder?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,464/month after taxes. Rent data is not available for this area.
How far does a cooks, fast food salary go in Boulder?
Boulder 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 cooks, fast food salary is worth about $36,250 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do cooks, fast foods 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.