BLS metro-level wage data places Food Preparation Workers pay in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO at a median of $39,470 per year ($18.98/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $35,320, Denver-Aurora-Centennial pays +12% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 6,640 food preparation workerss are employed across the Denver-Aurora-Centennial MSA in SOC 35-2021.

The Denver-Aurora-Centennial pay distribution spans from $30,800 at the 10th percentile to $48,600 at the 90th — a 1.6× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $35,590 and the 75th at $44,890, so half of Denver-Aurora-Centennial-based food preparation workerss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide CO data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.