SALARY · COOKS, INSTITUTION AND CAFETERIA · COLORADO

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salary in Colorado

I would start with the middle, not the top of the range. For cooks, institution and cafeteria in Colorado, that middle figure was $42,500 a year. It gives you a steadier base for rent, bills and savings plans than a headline salary that only a small share of workers actually reach.

MEDIAN ANNUAL SALARY

$42,500

$20 per hour at the median · That is $5,050 (13.5 percent) above the national median of $37,450 for this occupation.

$43,690Mean annual salary
$21Mean hourly wage
$9,440People employed in this job in Colorado

Salary range

25th: $38,450Median: $42,50075th: $47,920
MeasureAnnual
25th percentile$38,450
Median (50th percentile)$42,500
75th percentile$47,920
Mean$43,690

The middle half of workers earned from $38,450 to $47,920 a year. Do not read the percentile range as good versus bad jobs. It mostly reflects experience, hours, employer type and local demand. A new starter near the 25th percentile and a veteran near the 75th can both be fairly paid for their stage.

What stays in your pocket on the median salary

ESTIMATED TAKE-HOME PAY

$35,167 a year
$2,931 a month
Federal tax $2,920 · FICA $3,251 · State tax $1,162

Caveat: the Colorado worksheet was retrieved via a reproduction, not a direct tax.colorado.gov page, and TABOR refunds are excluded.

The Denver occupational privilege tax is a flat dollar charge and is not in this figure.

Read this before you use the take-home figure. It is a single-filer estimate using the 2026 standard deduction. It leaves out credits, other deductions, local taxes, and retirement or health deductions. Your actual paycheck can differ, and for states without a verified 2026 table in this build, state tax is still to be added once its table is verified.

Same job, other states

Other jobs in Colorado

Try your own salary in the paycheck calculator