Colorado Minimum Wage Calculator

The current Colorado minimum wage is $14.81 per hour. Use the calculator above to see what that means for your weekly, monthly, and annual pay based on your hours worked.

Yes. Colorado's minimum wage of $14.81/hour is higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour, so employers in Colorado must pay the higher state rate.

Working 40 hours a week at Colorado's minimum wage of $14.81/hour comes to about $30,805 a year before taxes. Adjust your hours in the calculator above for a more precise figure.

In many cases, yes. Some cities and counties within Colorado can pass local ordinances setting a minimum wage above the statewide rate shown here. Always check your specific city or county for the most accurate local minimum wage before relying on the statewide figure.

In many states, employers can pay tipped workers a lower "tipped minimum wage" as long as tips bring total hourly earnings up to at least Colorado's standard minimum wage of $14.81/hour. A smaller number of states require the full minimum wage regardless of tips — check Colorado's specific labor rules for tipped employees.

For most households, a single minimum-wage income of about $30,805 a year falls short of covering typical living costs like rent and groceries, particularly in higher cost-of-living areas of Colorado. This is a key reason many states have raised their minimum well above the federal $7.25 rate.

It depends on state law — some states raise their minimum wage automatically each year based on inflation, while others require new legislation for any increase. Check Colorado's department of labor for the latest scheduled increases.

At $14.81/hour, Colorado sits above the federal minimum of $7.25/hour but below the higher-wage states like California and Washington.