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What does a Cooks, Fast Food salary really buy you in Utah?
Utah is 5.5% cheaper than the US averageData: BLS OEWS 2025 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-05-19
Utah's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 94.5, meaning prices are 5.5% lower the national average. A Cooks, Fast Food earning $31,800 in Utah has the equivalent purchasing power of $33,650 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Utah's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $27,760 | $29,375 | +$1,615 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $29,220 | $30,920 | +$1,700 |
| Median (P50) | $31,800 | $33,650 | +$1,850 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $36,400 | $38,518 | +$2,118 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $47,200 | $49,947 | +$2,747 |
A Cooks, Fast Food in Utah earns $31,800 on paper, but low living costs mean your money goes 6% further — like earning $33,650 in an average-cost state. This makes Utah one of the best value states for this occupation.
With an RPP of 94.5, Utah is within a few percent of the national cost-of-living baseline. Salary adjustment for Cooks, Fast Food is therefore minor — what you earn is close to what you'd keep in real purchasing power.
After applying Utah's RPP, the $31,800 median salary translates to $33,651 in real terms — a 5.8% gain. That difference can cover several months of expenses over a year for a Cooks, Fast Food.
Utah sits at #18 of 51 states for Cooks, Fast Food COL-adjusted salary — comfortably above the national midpoint.
Where does Cooks, Fast Food salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Utah ranks #18 out of 51 states for Cooks, Fast Food after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Cooks, Fast Food take-home pay in Utah after taxes →
A Cooks, Fast Food in Utah earns a median salary of $31,800 per year. After adjusting for Utah's cost of living (RPP=94.5), the real purchasing power is $33,650 — a +5.8% difference.
Utah's cost of living is 5.5% lower than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Utah is 94.5 (US average = 100).
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure differences in price levels across states. They are expressed as a percentage of the national average (US = 100). Higher RPP means higher cost of living.
The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Cooks, Fast Food in Utah: $31,800 x (100 / 94.5) = $33,650. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
From a purchasing power perspective, yes. A Cooks, Fast Food in Utah enjoys 5.8% more buying power than the nominal salary suggests, because living costs are below the national average. However, other factors like job availability, career growth, and quality of life also matter.
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