Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2025 reference period
Denver, CO Average Salary 2026
Cost of living, occupation-by-occupation pay, and percentile ranges from official BLS data.
The average salary in Denver, CO, Colorado is $118,540 as of 2026, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (2025 reference period) covering 64 occupations and roughly 348,380 workers. Adjusted for Denver, CO's cost-of-living index of 112.8, that nominal average translates to $105,089 of purchasing power in an average-cost U.S. metro. The highest-paying tracked occupation is Family Medicine Physician at $255,590; the lowest is Welder at $58,890.
Denver, CO, CO has cost-of-living above the national baseline (index 112.8). The 64 occupations reported here average $118,540 in median wages.
Highest-paying role in Denver, CO on BLS data is Family Medicine Physician at $255,590 median. Top-paying roles in any U.S. city skew toward physicians, executives, tech specialists, and licensed professionals; the specific ranking varies with the local industry mix. Workers comparing Denver, CO to other regional centers should look at both gross and cost-adjusted wages. The cost-of-living index is uniform across the city but actual household costs vary widely by neighborhood and lifestyle.
Salaries by Occupation in Denver, CO
| Role | Category | Median | Range (10th–90th) | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physician | Healthcare | $255,590 | $77,310 – $335,940 | 1,080 |
| Computer and Information Systems Manager | Technology | $203,340 | $133,450 – $293,820 | 7,730 |
| Financial Manager | Finance | $193,400 | $127,190 – $344,300 | 7,490 |
| Marketing Manager | Management | $182,470 | $124,230 – $290,850 | 4,220 |
| Sales Manager | Management | $181,580 | $109,250 – $320,960 | 5,930 |
| Lawyer | Legal | $177,380 | $90,640 – $337,050 | 11,860 |
| Pediatrician | Healthcare | $173,950 | $107,990 – $275,020 | 380 |
| Human Resources Manager | Management | $170,940 | $109,540 – $277,530 | 2,540 |
| Dentist | Healthcare | $168,620 | $84,590 – $222,590 | 1,980 |
| Computer Occupations (Other) | Technology | $160,520 | $80,230 – $166,670 | 7,850 |
| Optometrist | Healthcare | $158,130 | $79,670 – $214,620 | 470 |
| Pharmacist | Healthcare | $157,890 | $122,450 – $188,490 | 2,630 |
| General and Operations Manager | Management | $142,330 | $73,490 – $313,870 | 22,940 |
| Computer Network Architect | Technology | $139,230 | $94,740 – $206,270 | 10,260 |
| Medical and Health Services Manager | Healthcare | $137,760 | $88,150 – $240,740 | 4,700 |
| Software Developer | Technology | $137,610 | $99,700 – $209,300 | 27,010 |
| Information Security Analyst | Technology | $136,670 | $86,660 – $209,990 | 3,580 |
| Veterinarian | Healthcare | $135,090 | $86,250 – $217,950 | 1,160 |
| Physician Assistant | Healthcare | $134,540 | $105,560 – $175,590 | 1,650 |
| Nurse Practitioner | Healthcare | $134,040 | $95,890 – $172,170 | 2,310 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analyst | Technology | $133,970 | $88,110 – $219,990 | 160 |
| Engineers (Other) | Engineering | $131,740 | $79,030 – $188,240 | 1,270 |
| Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $128,180 | $74,880 – $168,850 | 4,530 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | Technology | $127,880 | $81,050 – $209,090 | 4,190 |
| Operations Research Analyst | Technology | $127,810 | $83,450 – $182,530 | 490 |
| Software Quality Assurance Tester | Technology | $123,690 | $80,590 – $169,990 | 3,620 |
| Database Architect | Technology | $120,120 | $67,040 – $165,190 | 800 |
| Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $119,020 | $80,350 – $196,110 | 2,620 |
| Audiologist | Healthcare | $114,730 | $76,080 – $136,660 | 230 |
| Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $113,760 | $100,890 – $128,020 | 2,100 |
| Data Scientist | Technology | $112,520 | $74,830 – $178,700 | 4,510 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | Healthcare | $112,090 | $73,900 – $158,720 | 2,480 |
| Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $108,680 | $80,810 – $157,780 | 2,500 |
| Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $107,500 | $79,170 – $157,820 | 1,870 |
| Network Architect | Technology | $105,090 | $76,390 – $156,690 | 4,670 |
| Civil Engineer | Engineering | $104,710 | $78,930 – $167,090 | 9,130 |
| Computer Programmer | Technology | $104,610 | $73,040 – $163,510 | 540 |
| Financial Analyst | Finance | $104,480 | $74,860 – $176,020 | 5,960 |
| Architect | Engineering | $104,090 | $77,820 – $172,700 | 2,090 |
| Statistician | Technology | $104,060 | $72,290 – $147,250 | 510 |
| Management Analyst | Management | $102,620 | $39,990 – $204,240 | 10,380 |
| Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $102,340 | $79,040 – $134,640 | 2,730 |
| Registered Nurse | Healthcare | $101,130 | $81,210 – $125,870 | 30,380 |
| Financial Examiner | Finance | $101,070 | $66,460 – $171,340 | 1,550 |
| Loan Officer | Finance | $100,130 | $39,430 – $167,560 | 1,970 |
| Accountant | Finance | $100,020 | $63,550 – $165,010 | 22,720 |
| Market Research Analyst | Management | $99,040 | $51,980 – $167,560 | 17,000 |
| Personal Financial Advisor | Finance | $98,740 | $57,890 – $294,770 | 4,700 |
| Web Developer | Technology | $98,330 | $60,300 – $164,790 | 2,120 |
| Web Designer | Technology | $92,060 | $58,420 – $125,800 | 900 |
| Public Relations Specialist | Creative | $82,930 | $56,720 – $149,990 | 4,560 |
| Computer Network Support Specialist | Technology | $82,750 | $58,070 – $124,650 | 3,580 |
| Paralegal | Legal | $80,500 | $60,590 – $111,560 | 3,740 |
| Secondary School Teacher | Education | $79,230 | $51,860 – $102,070 | 9,070 |
| Elementary School Teacher | Education | $76,910 | $50,460 – $101,440 | 12,030 |
| Business Professor (Postsecondary) | Education | $74,490 | $30,800 – $176,670 | 790 |
| Graphic Designer | Creative | $72,500 | $47,990 – $123,900 | 2,590 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologist | Healthcare | $70,050 | $48,610 – $102,220 | 2,890 |
| Writer/Author | Creative | $69,100 | $42,060 – $132,620 | 860 |
| Carpenter | Trades | $64,910 | $48,160 – $89,990 | 7,250 |
| Plumber | Trades | $63,900 | $48,640 – $102,770 | 5,750 |
| Electrician | Trades | $63,150 | $46,070 – $94,160 | 10,450 |
| Automotive Technician | Trades | $61,960 | $41,010 – $94,990 | 6,340 |
| Welder | Trades | $58,890 | $45,060 – $79,700 | 1,990 |
What These Numbers Tell You
The single highest-paying occupation tracked in Denver, CO is Family Medicine Physician, with a median of $255,590 and a 90th-percentile reading of $335,940. That $258,630 spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles is typical for a role of this seniority — entry-level workers cluster near the bottom of the band, while senior specialists and managers earn at the top.
Across all 64 BLS-tracked occupations in Denver, CO, the average median salary is $118,540. The top five roles average $203,276 — about 1.7× the citywide average — which is the expected shape for a U.S. metro economy: a small concentration of high-skill, high-credential occupations sits well above the broader middle.
Denver, CO sits close to the U.S. average on cost of living (index 112.8). Headline salary numbers translate roughly one-for-one into purchasing power — useful as a national benchmark city when comparing offers across markets.
Salary Negotiation in Denver, CO
For salary negotiation in Denver, CO, the practical input is the percentile band for your role and city, not the citywide average. The OEWS publishes 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile wages for every metro and occupation; you can find your role's exact percentile in the table above and use the SalaryTruth percentile calculator to anchor your offer. Cost-of-living index 112.8 should also factor in any cross-metro comparison.
For city-vs-city moves, the right benchmark is COL-adjusted pay rather than nominal pay. Our COL-adjusted salaries guide shows the exact math; the negotiation playbook covers how to use BLS percentile bands to anchor offers.
How Denver, CO Salary Data Is Built
Wages on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — a federal survey of more than 1.2 million U.S. establishments, published once per year by Metropolitan Statistical Area and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. We pull the BLS data file for Denver, CO, match each occupation against our role catalog, and surface percentile wages alongside employment counts. The cost-of-living index (112.8) is a composite of housing, food, transportation, and utility data from public sources, calibrated to a U.S. national average of 100. Read the full methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average salary in Denver, CO in 2026?
The average salary in Denver, CO is $118,540 as of 2026, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS 2025 release covering 64 occupations. The mean (employment-weighted average) gives slightly more weight to large occupations; the median across roles is also close to $118,540. The top-paying role is Family Medicine Physician at $255,590.
Is $100,000 a good salary in Denver, CO?
In Denver, CO, $100,000 has the purchasing power of $88,652 in an average-cost U.S. metro (COL index 112.8). That is roughly in line with what $100K buys in a typical U.S. city. Compared to the city's average median of $118,540, $100K is below the typical worker.
What are the highest-paying jobs in Denver, CO?
The top-paying tracked occupations in Denver, CO are Family Medicine Physician ($255,590), Computer and Information Systems Manager ($203,340), Financial Manager ($193,400), and Marketing Manager ($182,470). Across the top 10, median salaries range from $160,520 to $255,590. See the full ranking at /ranking/highest-paying-jobs/denver.
How does Denver, CO's cost of living affect salaries?
Denver, CO has a cost-of-living index of 112.8, 13% above the U.S. national average. A nominal salary of $118,540 in this metro has the equivalent purchasing power of $105,089 in an average-cost U.S. city. Housing is the dominant driver of this gap; in higher-COL markets, mortgage or rent typically eats 5–15 percentage points more of pre-tax pay than in average-cost metros.
How many people are employed in Denver, CO?
Across the 64 BLS-tracked occupations on this page, total employment in the Denver, CO metro is approximately 348,380. BLS OEWS sample-based estimates cover all major occupational categories but exclude very small or volatile fields where the sample is too thin to publish.
Where does this Denver, CO salary data come from?
Every wage figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — public domain federal survey data covering about 1.2 million U.S. employers. The same data is used by the U.S. Department of Labor for prevailing wage determinations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Denver, CO MSA, 2026 release. Public domain. See bls.gov/oes. Cite as: "SalaryTruth, BLS OEWS 2026."
Last refreshed 2026-05-21 · 64 occupations · COL Index 112.8.