Chefs and Head Cooks pay range in Denver
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,890 a year or less, while the top 10% make $97,410 or more. The middle half of chefs and head cooks in Denver earn between $59,480 and $80,920.
- $50K10th
- $59K25th
- $67KMedian
- $81K75th
- $97K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $72,990 | $6,082 | $35.09 |
| Median | $66,970 | $5,581 | $32.20 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $59,480 | $4,957 | $28.60 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $80,920 | $6,743 | $38.90 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Chefs and Head Cooks salary after taxes in Denver
On the average salary of $72,990, a single filer in Denver takes home about $57,675 a year, or $4,806 a month and $2,218 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.
Is Denver a good place for chefs and head cooks? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Denver area are 6% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 105.8), so the average $72,990 buys what about $69,000 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Denver ($62,320). A typical home costs $573,221, or 7.9 years of this average salary before tax.
Chefs and Head Cooks salary in other Colorado cities
Denver ranks 1st of 7 Colorado metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Denver$72,990
- Greeley$66,280
- Grand Junction$65,430
- Boulder$64,770
- Fort Collins$63,590
- Colorado Springs$63,350
- Pueblo$59,980
Highest-paying cities for chefs and head cooks
Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($91,380).
- Kahului, HI$91,380
- Napa, CA$83,750
- San Jose, CA$80,150
- Albany, NY$79,500
- Providence, RI$79,440
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Chefs and Head Cooks salary in Denver: questions
How much do chefs and head cooks make an hour in Denver?
$35.09 an hour on average, and $32.20 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level chefs and head cooks salary in Denver?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,890 a year and the 25th percentile is $59,480, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the chefs and head cooks take-home pay in Denver?
About $57,675 a year ($4,806 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $72,990. Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.
Do chefs and head cooks earn more in Denver than elsewhere?
The average here is 9% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($67,002).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-1011; area Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO (19740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.3%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.88, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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