Fresher
10th to 25th percentile
From
$49,890
To
$59,480
Use this for early-career offers or roles with limited paid experience.
Median annual salary
$66,970
BLS OEWS 2025
25th percentile
$59,480
Lower market anchor
75th percentile
$80,920
Upper market anchor
Mean annual salary
$72,990
Average published wage
Salary Explorer
Pick a work area, role, location, and experience band to compare salary ranges.
Selected
Intermediate salary for Chef in Denver
Open the page for the 25th to 75th percentile and the full percentile breakdown.
Salary Range by Experience
These bands translate salary percentiles into practical fresher, intermediate, and senior salary ranges. They are not fixed years-of-experience rules.
Median salary
$66,970
BLS
to
Intermediate
25th to 75th percentile
From
$59,480
To
$80,920
Use this for candidates with proven role skills and solid delivery history.
Senior
75th to 90th percentile
From
$80,920
To
$97,410
Use this for senior candidates, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.
Fresher salary answer
Freshers and entry-level candidates can compare chef offers in Denver against $49,890 to $59,480.
Intermediate salary answer
Intermediate candidates can compare chef offers in Denver against $59,480 to $80,920.
Senior salary answer
Senior candidates can compare chef offers in Denver against $80,920 to $97,410.
How Denver Salaries Compare With Other Cities for This Role
Denver is a BLS metro estimate. The other rows are BLS metro areas for Chefs and Head Cooks, so candidates can compare local pay with major hiring markets.
Mean annual salary
Seattle
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$76,820
Boston
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$75,450
New York
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
$74,840
Washington DC
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$74,250
San Francisco
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$73,910
Atlanta
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$73,840
Denver
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
$72,990
Los Angeles
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$69,260
Austin
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
$68,120
Dallas
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$66,880
How Chef Salaries Compare With Other Roles
This chart compares chef pay in Denver with other roles available in the salary directory. Each row uses BLS OEWS min, avg, and top salary data.
Mean annual salary
Physician
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$289,350
Psychiatrist
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$289,350
Surgeon
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$289,350
Branch Manager
Financial Managers, SOC 11-3031
$214,610
CFO
Financial Managers, SOC 11-3031
$214,610
Controller
Financial Managers, SOC 11-3031
$214,610
Finance Manager
Financial Managers, SOC 11-3031
$214,610
CIO
Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021
$205,920
CTO
Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021
$205,920
Chef
Chefs and Head Cooks, SOC 35-1011
$72,990
Salary Snapshot
The median annual salary for chefs in Denver is $66,970. The middle market range runs from $59,480 at the 25th percentile to $80,920 at the 75th percentile. The wider salary range runs from $49,890to $97,410.
| Measure | Value | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $49,890 | Lower published wage point |
| 25th percentile | $59,480 | Common lower market anchor |
| Median | $66,970 | Middle of the BLS wage range |
| 75th percentile | $80,920 | Upper market anchor |
| 90th percentile | $97,410 | High published wage point |
Source Notes
This page maps Chef to BLS occupation Chefs and Head Cooks, SOC 35-1011. The wage data is annual USD salary from BLS OEWS 2025. It does not include equity, signing bonus, bonus targets, benefits value, or self-employed income.
This page uses the BLS OEWS occupation Chefs and Head Cooks, SOC 35-1011, as the public wage source for Chef.
- BLS area
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
- Employment estimate
- 1,820
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median chef salary in Denver?
The median annual salary for chefs in Denver is $66,970, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data for Chefs and Head Cooks.
How much can fresher chef candidates expect in Denver?
Freshers and entry-level candidates can use the 10th to 25th percentile range as a guide. For chefs in Denver, that range is $49,890 to $59,480. It is a percentile band, not a fixed years-of-experience rule.
What is the intermediate chef salary range in Denver?
Intermediate candidates can compare offers against the 25th to 75th percentile range. For chefs in Denver, that range is $59,480 to $80,920.
What do senior chef candidates earn in Denver?
Senior candidates can use the 75th to 90th percentile range for stronger skill depth, senior scope, or higher-paying employers. For chefs in Denver, that range is $80,920 to $97,410.
Does this salary data include bonuses or equity?
No. BLS OEWS wage estimates cover wages and salaries. They do not fully capture equity, signing bonuses, annual bonus targets, benefits value, or contractor rates.
How should I use these salary percentiles?
Use percentiles as market anchors. The 10th to 25th percentile can fit fresher or lower-paid roles, the median is the midpoint, and the 75th to 90th percentile can fit stronger experience, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.
Why does this page use Chefs and Head Cooks instead of only Chef?
BLS publishes wages by standard occupation. This page maps Chef to Chefs and Head Cooks, SOC 35-1011, so the numbers come from a public wage series instead of a private survey.
Does Denver mean city limits or a metro area?
Denver is displayed as a candidate-friendly city label, but the underlying wage estimate is for the BLS metro area Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO, not strict city limits.
Written by Adithyan RK
Published on: 14 Apr 2026|Last updated: 19 Jul 2026
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