Cooks, Restaurant Salary
Cooks, Restaurants in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO make a median of $44,370 a year, or about $21.33 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $50K for experienced workers.
So what does $44K get you in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
About cooks, restaurants
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Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cooks, restaurants in metros near Denver-Aurora-Centennial, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado Springs | $38K | , |
| Boulder | $42K | , |
| Fort Collins-Loveland | $38K | , |
| Greeley | $37K | , |
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 cooks, restaurants (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $50K or more, a $14K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Restaurant pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Cooks, Restaurant salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $47K | +25% | 35,140 |
| District of Columbia | $46K | +23% | 7,720 |
| Massachusetts | $46K | +22% | 29,570 |
| Hawaii | $45K | +21% | 11,090 |
| Vermont | $45K | +21% | 2,360 |
| Maine | $45K | +21% | 5,130 |
| California | $45K | +20% | 152,250 |
| New York | $44K | +17% | 71,530 |
| Oregon | $43K | +15% | 21,550 |
| Colorado | $42K | +11% | 30,600 |
| New Hampshire | $40K | +8% | 7,190 |
| Alaska | $40K | +7% | 2,350 |
| Connecticut | $39K | +6% | 14,830 |
| Arizona | $39K | +3% | 30,870 |
| Nevada | $39K | +3% | 27,250 |
| Minnesota | $39K | +3% | 26,080 |
| New Jersey | $38K | +3% | 28,800 |
| Montana | $38K | +2% | 7,580 |
| Delaware | $38K | +1% | 5,280 |
| Maryland | $38K | +1% | 17,690 |
| Illinois | $38K | +1% | 53,540 |
| Nebraska | $37K | -1% | 4,750 |
| Florida | $37K | -1% | 124,040 |
| Michigan | $37K | -1% | 39,100 |
| Missouri | $37K | -1% | 25,990 |
| Wyoming | $37K | -1% | 2,710 |
| Virginia | $37K | -2% | 40,310 |
| Pennsylvania | $37K | -2% | 54,100 |
| Wisconsin | $37K | -2% | 25,410 |
| Rhode Island | $37K | -2% | 6,950 |
| Utah | $36K | -2% | 10,520 |
| North Dakota | $36K | -2% | 4,490 |
| Idaho | $36K | -3% | 8,130 |
| Tennessee | $36K | -3% | 28,220 |
| South Dakota | $36K | -3% | 1,890 |
| Georgia | $36K | -4% | 46,350 |
| South Carolina | $36K | -4% | 25,890 |
| Iowa | $36K | -5% | 12,270 |
| Ohio | $36K | -5% | 46,910 |
| North Carolina | $35K | -5% | 50,150 |
| Indiana | $35K | -6% | 26,960 |
| Kansas | $35K | -6% | 11,620 |
| New Mexico | $35K | -6% | 7,810 |
| Texas | $35K | -7% | 126,620 |
| Kentucky | $35K | -7% | 13,510 |
| Alabama | $32K | -14% | 16,260 |
| Oklahoma | $32K | -15% | 17,050 |
| Arkansas | $30K | -19% | 11,270 |
| West Virginia | $30K | -21% | 6,450 |
| Mississippi | $30K | -21% | 10,770 |
| Louisiana | $29K | -22% | 14,910 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 states
Track cooks, restaurant 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 cooks, restaurant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 68.6% 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 $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cooks, restaurants in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, restaurants typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,180/month.
Is cooks, restaurant a high-paying job in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
Local pay is 19% above the national median — $44K here vs. $37K nationally.
How does Denver-Aurora-Centennial compare to the national average for cooks, restaurants?
Denver-Aurora-Centennial pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s +19%.
How much do cooks, restaurants make in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO?
The median is $44,370 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,340, and experienced cooks, restaurants can clear $49,880. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,978/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,044/month, which eats 68.6% 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, restaurant 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 cooks, restaurant salary is worth about $44,370 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do cooks, restaurants 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.