Denver minimum wage

$19.29 an hour since January 1, 2026, rising to $19.84 on January 1, 2027. That's $4.13 above the Colorado rate of $15.16.

Who it covers: All employers, for work performed within the City and County of Denver. Doesn't apply to work outside Denver, to employees who work less than 4 hours a week in Denver, or to employees only traveling through Denver while working.

From	Hourly rate	Tipped cash wage	Official source
January 1, 2026	$19.29	$16.27	denvergov.org checked 2026-10-26
January 1, 2027 scheduled	$19.84	$16.82	denvergov.org checked 2026-10-26

Changes not announced yet

January 1, 2028: Annual adjustment by the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood CPI-W. Denver announced the 2027 rate in August 2026, so the 2028 rate should come out around August 2027. (denvergov.org)

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

Good to know

The tip credit (up to $3.02 an hour) is only allowed in the food and beverage industry, and only when the worker actually receives at least that much in tips. Other tipped workers get the full rate.
Employers of unemancipated minors in a city-certified youth employment program may pay them 15% less than the minimum wage.
Denver is a consolidated city and county, so the city limits and Denver County are the same area.
Other Colorado localities: we found no city or county besides Denver, Edgewater, the City of Boulder and unincorporated Boulder County with a local minimum wage taking effect by 2027. Boulder County says Erie, Jamestown, Lafayette, Longmont, Louisville, Lyons, Nederland, Superior and Ward use the state rate.

Get an email when the Denver 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 Denver rate apply at an address?

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

Get the Denver 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=Denver" \
  -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 Denver in 2027?

$19.84 an hour from January 1, 2027.

Who does the Denver minimum wage cover?

All employers, for work performed within the City and County of Denver. Doesn't apply to work outside Denver, to employees who work less than 4 hours a week in Denver, or to employees only traveling through Denver while working.

When does the Denver minimum wage go up next?

On January 1, 2027, to $19.84 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.