Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
Colorado employs 266,610 Food Preparation & Serving professionals across 14 occupations. Explore salary ranges, top paying jobs, and career opportunities within the Food Preparation & Serving industry.
The best-compensated occupations within Food Preparation & Serving in Colorado, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Food Preparation & Serving industry in Colorado, sorted by median salary (highest to lowest). Click any job title for state-specific salary details.
| # | Job Title | Median Salary | Mean Salary | Employment | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chefs and Head Cooks | $65,400 | $70,320 | 3,970 | $31/hr |
| 2 | First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $50,550 | $53,710 | 25,510 | $24/hr |
| 3 | Waiters and Waitresses | $44,860 | $51,240 | 40,680 | $21/hr |
| 4 | Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $42,500 | $43,690 | 9,440 | $20/hr |
| 5 | Cooks, Short Order | $42,450 | $44,170 | 1,900 | $20/hr |
| 6 | Cooks, Restaurant | $41,600 | $42,360 | 30,600 | $20/hr |
| 7 | Food Preparation Workers | $38,960 | $40,210 | 12,080 | $18/hr |
| 8 | Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $38,900 | $40,920 | 7,750 | $18/hr |
| 9 | Bartenders | $38,170 | $51,250 | 17,000 | $18/hr |
| 10 | Dishwashers | $37,840 | $38,000 | 8,500 | $18/hr |
| 11 | Cooks, Fast Food | $36,900 | $38,400 | 9,220 | $17/hr |
| 12 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $36,790 | $41,280 | 8,460 | $17/hr |
| 13 | Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $36,340 | $39,250 | 9,490 | $17/hr |
| 14 | Fast Food and Counter Workers | $36,270 | $36,890 | 82,010 | $17/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across Colorado:
Colorado has 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations with 266,610 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Food Preparation & Serving occupation in Colorado is Chefs and Head Cooks with a median salary of $65,400/year.
The average median salary across 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations in Colorado is $41,966/year.
Salaries in Food Preparation & Serving in Colorado range from $30,800 (entry-level) to $94,880 (senior) across all occupations.
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes organize jobs into groups. Food Preparation & Serving occupations use SOC prefix 35. Data comes from BLS OEWS.
Data: BLS OEWS 2025. Salary figures represent May 2025 compensation for occupations classified under SOC code 35* in Colorado. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources