Cooks, Short Order Salary
Cooks, Short Orders in Colorado make a median of $42,450 a year, or about $20.41 an hour. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $65K for experienced workers.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Colorado. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $42K get you in Colorado?
About cooks, short orders
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Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Colorado
Entry-level cooks, short orders (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $42K. Top earners bring in $65K or more, a $33K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Short Order salary by metro in Colorado
3 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $44K | +4% | 1,010 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland | $33K | -23% | N/A |
| Colorado Springs | $32K | -25% | 190 |
Compare to other states
Track cooks, short order salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Colorado numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
What’s the entry-level salary for cooks, short orders in Colorado?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, short orders typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,922/month.
Is cooks, short order a high-paying job in Colorado?
Local pay is 18% above the national median — $42K here vs. $36K nationally.
How does Colorado compare to the national average for cooks, short orders?
Colorado pays $42K median vs. the U.S. average of $36K — that’s +18%.
How much do cooks, short orders make in Colorado?
The median is $42,450 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,030, and experienced cooks, short orders can clear $64,840. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $42K enough to live in Colorado?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,857/month after taxes. Rent data is not available for this area.
How far does a cooks, short order salary go in Colorado?
Colorado 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, short order salary is worth about $42,450 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do cooks, short orders 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.