Cooks, Fast Food Salary
Cooks, Fast Foods in Grand Junction, CO make a median of $33,980 a year, or about $16.34 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $38K for experienced workers.
So what does $34K get you in Grand Junction?
About cooks, fast foods
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Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cooks, fast foods in metros near Grand Junction, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $39K | , |
| Colorado Springs | $37K | , |
| Fort Collins-Loveland | $35K | , |
| Boulder | $36K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Grand Junction, CO
Entry-level cooks, fast foods (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $34K. Top earners bring in $38K or more, a $7K 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 Grand Junction numbers change.
Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, fast food afford a 2BR apartment alone in Grand Junction?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $34K, rent takes 88.1% 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 $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cooks, fast foods in Grand Junction?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, fast foods typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,848/month.
Is cooks, fast food a high-paying job in Grand Junction?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $34K locally vs. $31K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Grand Junction compare to the national average for cooks, fast foods?
Grand Junction pays $34K median vs. the U.S. average of $31K — that’s +10%.
How much do cooks, fast foods make in Grand Junction, CO?
The median is $33,980 a year, that works out to about $16 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,800, and experienced cooks, fast foods can clear $37,990. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $34K enough to live in Grand Junction?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,321/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,044/month, which eats 88.1% 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 cooks, fast food salary go in Grand Junction?
Grand Junction 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 $33,980 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.