Food Jobs & Pay in Colorado
About 294,900 people in Colorado work in food-related jobs. Median pay by occupation, with the national median in the last column.
Restaurants & service
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 82,010 | $36,270 | $31,040 – $44,100 | $31,200 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 40,680 | $44,860 | $30,800 – $78,160 | $35,230 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 30,600 | $41,600 | $34,590 – $49,650 | $37,390 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 25,510 | $50,550 | $37,620 – $75,210 | $44,080 |
| Bartenders | 17,000 | $38,170 | $30,800 – $94,880 | $34,340 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 12,080 | $38,960 | $30,800 – $49,000 | $35,320 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | 9,490 | $36,340 | $30,800 – $55,660 | $31,200 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 9,440 | $42,500 | $36,290 – $50,990 | $37,450 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 9,220 | $36,900 | $31,970 – $46,610 | $30,890 |
| Dishwashers | 8,500 | $37,840 | $30,900 – $45,340 | $34,810 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 8,460 | $36,790 | $30,800 – $56,890 | $33,980 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 7,750 | $38,900 | $31,860 – $51,440 | $35,360 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 3,970 | $65,400 | $46,330 – $93,270 | $62,470 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | 2,970 | $35,710 | $31,380 – $47,360 | $35,840 |
| Cooks, Short Order | 1,900 | $42,450 | $32,030 – $64,840 | $35,880 |
| Cooks, All Other | 100 | $43,490 | $30,800 – $49,780 | $37,690 |
Food processing
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakers | 4,680 | $40,650 | $32,820 – $56,570 | $37,160 |
| Food Batchmakers | 3,880 | $44,900 | $36,820 – $61,130 | $42,290 |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 2,470 | $50,390 | $47,520 – $57,280 | $38,300 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 2,200 | $47,490 | $33,970 – $59,210 | $40,140 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 1,590 | $50,480 | $38,910 – $59,520 | $40,130 |
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | 610 | $46,930 | $37,110 – $52,030 | $39,680 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 500 | $59,590 | $38,640 – $74,420 | $44,810 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 300 | $46,900 | $40,100 – $62,620 | $41,590 |
Farm & field
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 2,450 | $38,170 | $33,210 – $53,360 | $35,660 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 1,270 | $39,740 | $32,120 – $57,160 | $36,670 |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 280 | $50,430 | $45,250 – $73,340 | $49,940 |
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 230 | $48,740 | $30,960 – $55,510 | $35,730 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | — | $37,290 | $32,410 – $48,840 | $41,730 |
Science & nutrition
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 1,640 | $75,510 | $59,840 – $114,350 | $76,400 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 320 | $99,580 | $66,280 – $161,640 | $88,720 |
| Food Science Technicians | 270 | $58,540 | $52,340 – $82,140 | $52,130 |
Management
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | 2,440 | $79,870 | $66,140 – $123,060 | $69,390 |
| Farm and Home Management Educators | 90 | $66,230 | $48,450 – $82,490 | $60,220 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, most recent annual estimate. Some occupations are suppressed in smaller states and are omitted. Median pay is the middle of the wage distribution; employment counts exclude the self-employed. Labour-market data, not job listings.