Ranked by median pay, with jobs and rent share; from BLS and Census data.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
7 metro areas in Colorado publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 73,210 jobs. The three largest employers of fast food and counter workers are Denver-Aurora-Centennial (42,810 jobs), Colorado Springs (11,470 jobs), Fort Collins-Loveland (5,770 jobs), which hold 82.0% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $31,100 to $37,070 a year, against $36,270 for the whole state and $31,200 for the whole country.
BLS reports a national median of $31,200 a year for fast food and counter workers (the lowest-paid tenth earn under $22,840 and the highest-paid tenth over $42,650). Employment is projected to change by +5.8% between 2025 and 2035, with about 827,400 openings a year including replacements. The typical entry route is: No formal educational credential; on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. Education requirements are BLS's typical ones, not legal rules; many states also license this work, so check the state board before applying.
Higher pay is not the whole story: look at the rent share column (yearly rent divided by median pay) and the price level (100 is the national average). A metro with a lower salary but cheaper housing can leave more money at the end of the month. The location quotient shows where the occupation is concentrated; employers cluster where it is above 1, which usually means more openings and more competition among employers for the same skills.
Fast food and counter workers in Colorado: the highest median pay is in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO area ($37,070 a year); the most jobs are in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO area (42,810). Statewide the median is $36,270 with 82,010 jobs. Metro areas with at least 100 jobs in this occupation are listed; click a column to sort.
| Metropolitan area ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Yearly rent as % of median pay ⇅ | Price level (US = 100) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 42,810 | $37,070 | $33,230 | $44,420 | 1.07 | 61% | 105.8 |
| Boulder, CO | 4,880 | $36,190 | $33,360 | $45,460 | 1.02 | 65% | 105.2 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | 5,770 | $34,850 | $31,040 | $45,210 | 1.37 | 59% | 101.1 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 11,470 | $34,420 | $30,940 | $41,490 | 1.46 | 59% | 100.7 |
| Greeley, CO | 3,670 | $33,030 | $30,800 | $37,780 | 1.24 | 56% | 100.2 |
| Grand Junction, CO | 2,450 | $31,510 | $30,800 | $37,270 | 1.47 | 45% | 95.5 |
| Pueblo, CO | 2,160 | $31,100 | $30,800 | $36,510 | 1.41 | 43% | 91.8 |
National page: Fast food and counter workers →Cities of Colorado
Rent uses the metro median gross rent (ACS) and appears only for metros that contain a city of this guide. "n/a" means BLS suppressed the figure or we have no rent for that metro.
In the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO area, with a median of $37,070 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO area, with 42,810 jobs.