Colorado minimum wage

$15.16 an hour since January 1, 2026, rising to $15.71 on January 1, 2027.

From	Hourly rate	Tipped cash wage	Official source
January 1, 2026	$15.16	$12.14	dol.gov checked 2026-10-26
January 1, 2027 scheduled	$15.71	$12.69	cdle.colorado.gov checked 2026-10-26

Changes not announced yet

January 1, 2028: Annual CPI-U adjustment under the Colorado constitution. CDLE announced the 2027 rate on August 13, 2026, so the 2028 amount should come around August 2027. (cdle.colorado.gov)

We add the amount as soon as it's published. The API returns these under pending_changes.

Good to know

Tipped employees may be paid up to $3.02 an hour less than the minimum wage.
cdle.colorado.gov blocks scripted requests, so the 2027 quote was checked by hand in a browser. CDLE's DLSS page also lists: Colorado (if no local minimum applies) $15.71 $12.69 $15.16 $12.14.

Get an email when the Colorado minimum wage changes

One email when a new rate is announced, and a reminder a week before it takes effect. Free, and you can stop it in one click.

Cities and counties with their own rate

Place	Now	Next change
Boulder	$16.82	$18.17 on January 1, 2027
Boulder County unincorporated areas	$16.82	$17.43 on January 1, 2027
Denver	$19.29	$19.84 on January 1, 2027
Edgewater	$18.17	$19.99 on January 1, 2027

Look up an address in Colorado

Live API, free for 50 lookups a day without an account. US street addresses.

Get Colorado rates by API

One call returns the federal, state, county and city rates that apply at an address, the one that governs, the tipped cash wage and the next change, each with its official source.

curl "https://bankday.dev/v1/minimum-wage?state=CO&city=Boulder" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $BANKDAY_KEY"

API docs · Pricing · State rates are free. City and county rates by name start on the Developer plan, address lookups on the Business plan.

Questions

What is the minimum wage in Colorado in 2027?

$15.71 an hour from January 1, 2027.

What is the tipped minimum wage in Colorado?

Employers may pay a cash wage of $12.14 if tips bring the total to at least $15.16.

Do cities in Colorado have their own minimum wage?

Yes. 4 places set a local rate: Boulder, Boulder County, Denver, Edgewater.

Rates come from the official sources linked on this page, checked on the dates shown. This is data, not legal advice: confirm with the official source before relying on it. Found a mistake? Email hello@bankday.dev.