Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders Salary
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders in Colorado make a median of $46,900 a year, or about $22.55 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $63K for experienced workers.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Colorado. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $47K get you in Colorado?
About food cooking machine operators and tenders
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Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Colorado
Entry-level food cooking machine operators and tenders (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $63K or more, a $23K spread from bottom to top.
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders salary by metro in Colorado
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $49K | +4% | 160 |
Compare to other states
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Colorado numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a food cooking machine operators and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Colorado?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 37.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,187/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 food cooking machine operators and tenders in Colorado?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food cooking machine operators and tenders typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,406/month.
Is food cooking machine operators and tender a high-paying job in Colorado?
Local pay is 13% above the national median — $47K here vs. $42K nationally.
How does Colorado compare to the national average for food cooking machine operators and tenders?
Colorado pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s +13%.
How much do food cooking machine operators and tenders make in Colorado?
The median is $46,900 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,100, and experienced food cooking machine operators and tenders can clear $62,620. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in Colorado?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,138/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,187/month, which eats 37.8% 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 food cooking machine operators and tenders 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 food cooking machine operators and tenders salary is worth about $46,900 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do food cooking machine operators and tenders 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.