Average Salary in Colorado (CO)

Colorado's $87,598 median household income is among the top ten in the US, and the state has been one of the fastest-growing destinations for tech and aerospace professionals over the past decade. Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs form a corridor that anchors the economy: Boulder's biotech and outdoor-industry clusters, Denver's finance and telecom employers (Charles Schwab, Lumen), and Colorado Springs' dense aerospace footprint (Lockheed Martin, Northrop, and Space Force HQ). The cost-of-living index of 105 is modestly above the national average, but Front Range housing costs have risen sharply — Denver and Boulder both consistently rank in the top twenty most expensive US metros by median home price. The state income tax is a flat 4.4%, one of the lower flat rates in the country. The $14.42/hour minimum wage is indexed to inflation, and Denver's local minimum pushes above $18. TABOR (the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights) constrains state revenue growth and often triggers taxpayer refunds in strong revenue years — a mechanism unique among US states. The Western Slope (Grand Junction and the mountain towns) operates as a separate economy driven by tourism, agriculture, and energy. Full salary and employment detail follows.