Colorado minimum wage 2026
The minimum wage in Colorado is $15.16 an hour in 2026, rising to $15.71 on January 1, 2027. Colorado's constitution ties the rate to Colorado consumer prices, and the Department of Labor and Employment sets each new figure in an annual PAY CALC Order. In 2026 tipped workers can be paid $3.02 below the minimum, minors up to 15% below, and cities and counties may set higher local wages.
Contents12 sections
At a glance
| Minimum wage now | $15.16 an hour, since January 1, 202615 |
|---|---|
| Next change | $15.71 on January 1, 2027 (announced)8 |
| Tipped employees | $12.14 cash wage, tip credit up to $3.0214 |
| Overtime | 1.5 times the regular rate after 40 hours a week; after 12 hours a day45 · details |
| Full-time pay | $606 a week, $31,533 a year at 40 hours a week before taxes · calculate for your hours |
| Enforced by | Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Division of Labor Standards and Statistics |
What to know about the Colorado minimum wage
Colorado's minimum wage lives in the state constitution. Article XVIII, section 15 requires the rate to be adjusted every January 1 by the change in consumer prices for Colorado, and the Division of Labor Standards and Statistics turns that into a figure through its yearly PAY CALC Order.1 The order for 2026 set $15.16 an hour from January 1, 2026, up from $14.81 a year earlier.2 The same order lists the other pay levels tied to the minimum wage.
Several of those levels affect large groups of workers. Tipped employees could be paid $12.14 an hour in 2026, $3.02 below the full rate, but only to the extent tips brought them up to $15.16.1 Workers under 18 who are not emancipated may be paid up to 15% less, which made their minimum $12.89 for 2026.1 Salaried executive, administrative and professional staff lose overtime only if paid at least $1,111.23 a week, about $57,784 a year, and agricultural range workers have a weekly minimum of $620.52.1 Overtime starts after 12 hours in a workday or 12 consecutive hours, not only after 40 in a week.4
A 2019 law, House Bill 19-1210, ended the state ban on local minimum wages, and several cities and counties set rates above the state's.4 When state, federal and local rules overlap, the PAY CALC Order says the more protective one applies.1
Unpaid-wage claims go to the Division of Labor Standards and Statistics, which accepts claims of up to $13,000 per employee from July 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027, a limit that then rises at least $1,000 every other year.1
All 2026 rates
Adults get the full state rate unless a higher local rate applies. In 2026 employers may pay tipped employees $3.02 less, and non-emancipated minors under 18 up to 15% less.
| Rate | Applies to | Per hour |
|---|---|---|
| State minimum wage | Most employers in Colorado$15.71 from January 1, 20278 | $15.1615 |
| Minors under 18 (not emancipated) | Up to 15% below the full state minimum wage (COMPS Rule 3.3); $12.89 an hour in 2026. | $12.8914 |
| Agricultural range workers | At least $620.52 a week in 2026 (COMPS Rule 2.4.9), adjusted each year for inflation. | See rule1 |
Tipped employees
| Tip credit | Allowed |
|---|---|
| Minimum cash wage | $12.14 an hour14 |
| Maximum tip credit | $3.02 an hour |
Employers may take a tip credit of up to $3.02 an hour (a cash wage of $12.14 in 2026 and $12.69 from January 1, 2027) for employees who regularly receive more than $1.64 an hour in tips averaged over the pay period. Cities and counties with a higher local minimum wage may allow a larger tip credit.
An employer that takes a tip credit must make up the difference whenever wages plus tips fall short of the full minimum wage for the workweek. See the tipped minimum wage guide.
Overtime and salaried staff
| Weekly overtime | After 40 hours in a workweek, at 1.5 times the regular rate45 |
|---|---|
| Daily overtime | After 12 hours in a workday |
| Exempt salary | $1,111.23 a week ($57,784 a year)14 |
Time and a half after 40 hours a week, 12 hours in a workday, or 12 consecutive hours regardless of the workday, whichever pays more (COMPS Order Rule 4.1.1). The COMPS Order covers most private employers; agricultural employees have separate, phased-in overtime thresholds.
Applies to executive, administrative and professional employees under the COMPS Order; the level is adjusted each year for inflation in the PAY CALC Order.
Overtime at the minimum wage of $15.16 is $22.74 an hour. Salaried managers, administrators and professionals are exempt from overtime only if they meet the duties tests and are paid at least the exempt salary. See overtime rules in every state or calculate pay with overtime.
How the rate changes
Every January 1 the rate is adjusted by the change in the consumer price index for Colorado under Article XVIII, section 15 of the state constitution. The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment publishes the new figure in its PAY CALC Order, usually adopted in late fall.
The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment announced on August 13, 2026 that the rate rises to $15.71, and the tipped cash wage to $12.69, on January 1, 2027.
Indexed to inflation: yes. Adjusted each January 1 by the Colorado consumer price index, as published in the yearly PAY CALC Order.1
Rate history
Who is covered
The Colorado Overtime and Minimum Pay Standards (COMPS) Order covers most private employers and many public ones. Executive, administrative, professional and some other employees are exempt under COMPS Rule 2. Where state, federal and local rules overlap, the more protective one applies.
- House Bill 19-1210 (2019) repealed Colorado's ban on local minimum wages.
- Overtime is owed at 1.5 times pay after 12 hours in a workday or 12 consecutive hours, and after 40 hours in a week.
- The state agency accepts unpaid-wage claims of up to $13,000 per employee from July 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027.
- Employers must display the COMPS Order poster.
Local rates in Colorado
Cities and counties may set a higher local minimum wage since House Bill 19-1210 (2019, C.R.S. 8-6-101(3)), subject to limits on how fast local rates may rise each year.
Places with their own rate
- Denver$19.29
- Edgewater$18.17
- Boulder$16.82
- Boulder County (unincorporated areas)$16.82
Each local page lists that place's tiers, next change and who is covered.
Largest cities in Colorado
- DenverLocal $19.29
- Colorado SpringsState $15.16
- AuroraState $15.16
Cities of Colorado among the 50 most populous in the US (U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 estimates for July 1, 2025). “Local” marks a city with its own minimum wage, “Regional” a state wage region, and “Federal rate” a city where the federal $7.25 is the rate that applies.
Neighboring states
If you live near a state line, the rate that applies is the one where you do the work, not where you live or where the employer is based.
| State | Per hour now |
|---|---|
| Arizona | $15.15 |
| Nebraska | $15.00 |
| New Mexico | $12.00 |
| Kansas | $7.25 |
| Oklahoma | $7.25 |
| Utah | $7.25 |
| Wyoming | $7.25 |
Compare every state on the ranked list and map.
Get help or file a claim
If you are paid less than the minimum wage that applies to your job, you can file a wage claim with the agency below. Federal law prohibits firing or otherwise retaliating against a worker for complaining about federal minimum wage rights.
| Agency | Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Division of Labor Standards and Statistics |
|---|---|
| The law | Colo. Const. Art. XVIII, sec. 15 (minimum wage, CPI indexing); 7 CCR 1103-1 COMPS Order #40; 7 CCR 1103-14 2026 PAY CALC Order; C.R.S. 8-6-101 (HB19-1210 local minimum wage authority) |
| Federal | U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243 |
Sources
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- 7 UC Berkeley Labor Center, Inventory of US City and County Minimum Wage Ordinances (cross-check only, updated 2026-09-30) Secondary reference · Checked Oct 9, 2026
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Is a rate wrong or out of date? Report an error