Boulder County minimum wage

$16.82 an hour since January 1, 2026, rising to $17.43 on January 1, 2027. That's $1.66 above the Colorado rate of $15.16.

Who it covers: All employers, for employees doing 4 or more hours of work a week in unincorporated Boulder County (for example Allenspark, Eldora, Gold Hill, Hygiene, Niwot and parts of Gunbarrel). Doesn't apply in Boulder, Erie, Jamestown, Lafayette, Longmont, Louisville, Lyons, Nederland, Superior or Ward.

From	Hourly rate	Tipped cash wage	Official source
January 1, 2026	$16.82	$13.80	bouldercounty.gov checked 2026-10-26
January 1, 2027 scheduled	$17.43	$14.41	bouldercounty.gov checked 2026-10-26

Changes not announced yet

January 1, 2028: From 2027 on, the rate rises each January 1 by the year-over-year Denver-Aurora-Lakewood CPI (all items) published each August. The county's page shows only estimates for 2028 and later. (bouldercounty.gov)

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

Good to know

Ordinance 2025-001 (adopted November 20, 2025) replaced the earlier schedule that was heading to $25 by 2030.
Tipped cash wage is the minimum wage minus the maximum $3.02 tip credit, only for food and beverage workers. The county's own tipped table shows $13.80 for 2026 and $14.41 for 2027.

Get an email when the Boulder County 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.

Does the Boulder County rate apply at an address?

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

Get the Boulder County rate 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%20County" \
  -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 Boulder County in 2027?

$17.43 an hour from January 1, 2027.

Who does the Boulder County minimum wage cover?

All employers, for employees doing 4 or more hours of work a week in unincorporated Boulder County (for example Allenspark, Eldora, Gold Hill, Hygiene, Niwot and parts of Gunbarrel). Doesn't apply in Boulder, Erie, Jamestown, Lafayette, Longmont, Louisville, Lyons, Nederland, Superior or Ward.

When does the Boulder County minimum wage go up next?

On January 1, 2027, to $17.43 an hour.

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.