Colorado Minimum Wage 2026

Colorado minimum wage is $15.16 an hour in 2026 (tipped cash wage $12.14). See what it costs your team and whether you are paying under it.

Last update

October 19, 2026

Colorado's 2026 minimum wage is $15.16 an hour, with a tipped cash wage of $12.14 and a maximum tip credit of $3.02, and the employer owes the difference in any workweek where tips fall short. Local rates run higher: Denver set their own rates above the state floor, and the local rate applies to anyone working inside those boundaries. The next scheduled increase is $15.71 on Jan 1, 2027. Use the calculator to see the annual cost at the Colorado minimum for your headcount and the back-pay exposure if you are paying under it. Hours over 40 are covered by the overtime calculator, the termination side by the Colorado final paycheck rule, and the full table is on the minimum wage by state calculator. Nearby: Utah, New Mexico and Arizona.

Colorado minimum wage calculator (2026)

Enter your schedule and rate to see what the Colorado minimum costs and whether you are under it.

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Rate changes land on January 1 and July 1. Payroll should already know.

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Colorado rate as of October 2026 from the US Department of Labor state tables. Local rates, where they exist, are higher and take precedence for work performed inside the boundary. Tipped cash wage is the minimum the employer pays directly; tips must bring the employee to the full minimum every workweek. Estimates only.