Colorado minimum wage: $15.16 an hour, rising to $15.71 on January 1, 2027
Checked November 9, 2026Source: Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Division of Labor Standards and Statistics
Some cities and counties in Colorado require more. See city and county rates
Short answer
Colorado’s minimum wage is $15.16 an hour, in effect since January 1, 2026, according to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Division of Labor Standards and Statistics.
Employers may pay tipped employees $12.14 an hour in cash, as long as tips bring them up to at least $15.16.
It rises to $15.71 on January 1, 2027, with a tipped cash wage of $12.69.
Some Colorado cities and counties require more: Boulder $16.82 an hour, Boulder County $16.82, Denver $19.29 and Edgewater $18.17.
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- Minimum wage today
- $15.16
- Tipped employees, cash wage
- $12.14
- From January 1, 2027
- $15.71
- Full-time year at today’s rate (2,080 hours)
- $31,533
Cities and counties can require more. Denver, Edgewater, the City of Boulder and unincorporated Boulder County set higher rates (Denver: $19.29 in 2026, $19.84 in 2027).
City and county rates in Colorado
Read from each government source on November 9, 2026.
| Place | Rate now | Next rate and date | Who it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder | $16.82 | $18.17on January 1, 2027 | Work in the City of Boulder.Source: City of Boulder |
| Boulder County | $16.82 | $17.43on January 1, 2027 | Unincorporated Boulder County only, for individuals performing or expected to perform 4 or more hours of work in a given week there. Does not cover work inside cities and towns.Source: Boulder County |
| Denver | $19.29 | $19.84on January 1, 2027 | Work performed within the City and County of Denver. Does not apply where an employee works less than 4 hours in Denver in a week or only travels through.Source: Denver Auditor’s Office, Denver Labor |
| Edgewater | $18.17 | $19.84on January 1, 2027 | Citywide minimum wage under Ordinance 2023-07, Ordinance 2025-23 and Ordinance 2026-11. Employers must post the wage notice in English and Spanish.Sources: City of Edgewater, City of Edgewater |
What the January 1, 2027 raise costs you
The raise is $0.55 an hour for anyone paid less than the new rate on January 1, 2027.
- Added wages a year
- $858
- Employer Social Security and Medicare (FICA), 7.65%
- $66
- Total added cost a year
- $924
Counts only the raise for workers below the new rate, over 52 weeks. It leaves out raises you give others to keep pay gaps, and state unemployment tax, which usually stops at a wage cap.
Colorado minimum wage by date
| Effective | Minimum wage | Tipped cash wage | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2027Upcoming | $15.71 | $12.69 | Announced August 13, 2026 (3.6% inflation adjustment).source |
| January 1, 2026Current | $15.16 | $12.14 | Tip credit up to $3.02 an hour.source |
| January 1, 2025 | $14.81 | $11.79 | source |
Adjusted every January 1 for inflation (CPI-U, the Consumer Price Index) under the state constitution; CDLE announced the 2027 rate on August 13, 2026 and sets it formally in its annual PAY CALC Order.
Other Colorado rates
Non-emancipated minors
The minimum wage for non-emancipated minors is 15% below the full minimum wage (Colorado COMPS Order Rule 3.3).
Today: $12.89
Before January 1, 2027
- Update every hourly rate below $15.71 in payroll so the first paycheck on or after that date is right.
- Update tipped employees’ cash wage to $12.69.
- Replace the minimum wage poster with the new year’s version from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Division of Labor Standards and Statistics.
Other Colorado pay rules
- Paydays
- Pay periods can be no longer than one month (or 30 days), and payday must be within 10 days after the pay period ends.
- Overtime
- Time and a half after 40 hours in a week, 12 hours in a day, or 12 hours in a row, whichever pays more.
- Final paycheck
- Fired: Immediately. If the payroll office isn’t open, within 6 hours after it next opens (24 hours if payroll is handled off-site). Quit: By the next regular payday.
From the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment and the U.S. Department of Labor’s state tables. All Colorado employer rules.
Minimum wage in states next to Colorado
If you hire across a state line, the worker’s state sets the rate.
Questions employers ask
What is the minimum wage in Colorado in 2026?
Colorado’s minimum wage is $15.16 an hour, in effect since January 1, 2026, according to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Division of Labor Standards and Statistics.
What is the tipped minimum wage in Colorado?
Employers may pay tipped employees $12.14 an hour in cash, as long as tips bring them up to at least $15.16.
When does the Colorado minimum wage go up next?
On January 1, 2027, to $15.71 an hour. Adjusted every January 1 for inflation (CPI-U, the Consumer Price Index) under the state constitution; CDLE announced the 2027 rate on August 13, 2026 and sets it formally in its annual PAY CALC Order.
Do cities in Colorado have a higher minimum wage?
Yes. Denver, Edgewater, the City of Boulder and unincorporated Boulder County set higher rates (Denver: $19.29 in 2026, $19.84 in 2027). Today’s local rates: Boulder $16.82 an hour, Boulder County $16.82, Denver $19.29 and Edgewater $18.17.
Does Colorado require overtime pay?
Time and a half after 40 hours in a week, 12 hours in a day, or 12 hours in a row, whichever pays more.
Compare every state’s minimum wage · Everything employers in Colorado must do
Sources
- Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Division of Labor Standards and Statistics
- Ordinance No. 2026-11, Edgewater minimum wage calculation (adopted July 7, 2026), City of Edgewater (read Nov 9, 2026)
- Press Release: Colorado Minimum Wage will Increase to $15.71/hour in 2027, Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (read Nov 7, 2026)
- 2026 Temporary Publication And Yearly Calculation of Adjusted Labor Compensation (PAY CALC) Order, 7 CCR 1103-14, Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Local Minimum Wage, City of Boulder (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Local minimum wage, Boulder County (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Citywide Minimum Wage, Denver Auditor’s Office, Denver Labor (read Nov 8, 2026)
- Minimum Wage, City of Edgewater (read Nov 8, 2026)