Average Salary in Colorado
What workers in Colorado earn: mean and median wages, monthly and hourly pay, the full wage distribution, household income and cost-of-living context. Wage data: BLS OEWS May 2025.
- Mean annual wage$77,190Rank #9 of 51 · US $69,770
- Median annual wage$59,800Rank #5 of 51 · US $50,980
- Mean hourly wage$37.11Median $28.75/hour
- Median monthly pay$4,983Mean $6,432/month
- Median household income$97,113ACS 2024 · rank #9
- Price level (RPP)103.1US = 100 · BEA 2024
What is the average salary in Colorado?
The average (mean) annual wage across all occupations in Colorado is $77,190, and the median annual wage is $59,800, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 OEWS estimates. The mean is 10.6% above the national mean of $69,770; the median is 17.3% above the national median of $50,980. Colorado ranks #9 of the 50 states and DC for mean wage and #5 for median wage.
The mean is $17,390 (29%) higher than the median. That gap is normal: a minority of very high earners pulls the average up, so the median is the better guide to what a typical worker in Colorado earns. Why mean and median differ →
The estimates cover 2,873,900 wage and salary jobs in Colorado (self-employed workers are not included).
Monthly, weekly and hourly pay in Colorado
Gross pay before taxes. Monthly = annual ÷ 12, bi-weekly = annual ÷ 26, weekly = annual ÷ 52. Hourly figures are published by BLS.
| Pay period | Mean (average) | Median (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual | $77,190 | $59,800 |
| Monthly | $6,432 | $4,983 |
| Bi-weekly paycheck | $2,969 | $2,300 |
| Weekly | $1,484 | $1,150 |
| Hourly | $37.11 | $28.75 |
Estimate take-home pay on the Colorado median wage (2026 tax year) →
What is a good salary in Colorado?
“Good” depends on your household and where in the state you live, but the wage distribution shows where a salary stands relative to other workers in Colorado:
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $36,350 | $3,029 | 90% of workers earn more |
| 25th | $43,680 | $3,640 | 75% earn more |
| 50th (median) | $59,800 | $4,983 | half earn more, half less |
| 75th | $93,220 | $7,768 | top 25% earn more than this |
| 90th | $136,330 | $11,361 | top 10% earn more than this |
In practice, a salary above $59,800 beats more than half of Colorado workers, about $93,220 puts you in the top quarter, and $136,330 or more puts you in the top 10%. These are individual wages, not household income. Compare percentiles across states →
Household income and earnings in Colorado
| Measure (ACS 2024) | Colorado | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $97,113 | $81,604 |
| Median family income | $121,209 | $101,265 |
| Per-capita income | $54,531 | $45,256 |
| Median earnings, all workers with earnings | $54,163 | $46,949 |
| Median earnings, men working full-time year-round | $77,210 | $66,965 |
| Median earnings, women working full-time year-round | $65,542 | $55,678 |
Household income adds up the income of everyone in a household — often two earners, plus Social Security, investment and self-employment income — so it is higher than any per-worker wage figure. Women working full-time year-round in Colorado have median earnings equal to 85% of men’s. Household income in every state →
Salary vs. cost of living in Colorado
Prices in Colorado are about 3.1% above the national average (BEA regional price parity 103.1; housing 127.4). Adjusted for that, the median wage of $59,800 is worth $58,002 at national-average prices (rank #6), and the mean wage is worth $74,869 (rank #5). Cost-of-living adjusted ranking →
Colorado taxes wage income, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures above by federal tax, FICA and state income tax.
Colorado vs. neighboring states
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | RPP | Adjusted median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $77,190 | $59,800 | 103.1 | $58,002 |
| Kansas | $60,640 | $48,010 | 90.1 | $53,285 |
| Nebraska | $62,400 | $48,980 | 90.1 | $54,362 |
| New Mexico | $62,330 | $47,210 | 92.2 | $51,204 |
| Oklahoma | $56,950 | $45,600 | 87.8 | $51,936 |
| Utah | $66,290 | $50,110 | 98.9 | $50,667 |
| Wyoming | $61,560 | $50,270 | 92.7 | $54,229 |
| Arizona | $67,620 | $50,060 | 100.7 | $49,712 |
Highest-paying occupations in Colorado
Detailed occupations with at least 300 jobs in the state, ranked by mean annual wage. “$239,200+” means BLS reports only that the wage is at or above that level.
| Occupation | Mean wage | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | $239,200+ | $239,200+ | 780 |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $239,200+ | $239,200+ | 410 |
| Surgeons, All Other | $239,200+ | $239,200+ | 470 |
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $374,610 | $385,410 | 410 |
| Radiologists | $343,570 | $344,270 | 500 |
| Physicians, All Other | $298,570 | $298,320 | 1,990 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $291,400 | $299,990 | 450 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $290,850 | $307,490 | 5,830 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $249,500 | $265,560 | 2,700 |
| Financial Managers | $209,360 | $182,690 | 10,640 |
Most common jobs in Colorado and what they pay
| Occupation | Employment | Median wage | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 82,010 | $36,270 | $17.44 |
| Retail Salespersons | 76,660 | $37,950 | $18.25 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 55,520 | $42,350 | $20.36 |
| Registered Nurses | 54,490 | $100,260 | $48.20 |
| Cashiers | 51,670 | $36,870 | $17.72 |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 45,670 | $92,520 | $44.48 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 44,650 | $38,540 | $18.53 |
| Software Developers | 43,320 | $138,390 | $66.53 |
| General and Operations Managers | 41,870 | $131,840 | $63.39 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 40,680 | $44,860 | $21.57 |
The largest occupation in Colorado is fast food and counter workers, with 82,010 jobs and a median wage of $36,270. Many of the most common jobs pay well below the state median, which is one reason the overall median sits far below the mean.
Salaries for 54 common occupations in Colorado
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in Colorado?
The average (mean) annual wage in Colorado is $77,190, or $37.11 per hour, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The median wage — what a typical worker earns — is $59,800 a year ($28.75 per hour).
What is the average monthly salary in Colorado?
Dividing the annual figures by 12, the mean wage in Colorado works out to about $6,432 per month and the median wage to about $4,983 per month, before taxes.
What is considered a good salary in Colorado?
Earning more than the median of $59,800 puts you above half of all workers in Colorado. A salary of $93,220 or more is in the top 25%, and $136,330 or more is in the top 10% of wage earners in the state.
What is the median household income in Colorado?
Median household income in Colorado was $97,113 in the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey, compared with $81,604 nationally. Household income combines all earners and income sources in a home.
Does Colorado have a state income tax on wages?
Yes. Colorado taxes wage income, so state income tax is deducted from paychecks in addition to federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.