Colorado minimum wage 2027.

The Colorado minimum wage in 2027

Colorado's state minimum wage rises to $15.71 an hour on January 1, 2027, from $15.16, and the minimum cash wage for tipped workers rises to $12.69. The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment announced both figures on August 13, 2026.

What changed from 2026

The statewide rate rises 55 cents, from $15.16 to $15.71. CDLE calls that a 3.6 percent increase and a 41.5 percent increase over the 2019 minimum wage of $11.10. The tipped cash wage of $12.69 is $3.02 below the full minimum, which is the tip credit an employer can claim.

Local minimums and who sets them

If you work in Denver the local minimum wage, $19.84 an hour for 2027 according to CDLE, applies instead of the state rate because it is higher. CDLE's release does not list rates for other cities or counties, so this page does not either. Check the local government where the work is done, and see the Denver minimum wage page for the 2026 local figure.

How the rate is set

Colorado's constitution adjusts the minimum wage every year for inflation. CDLE measures it with the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), while the City and County of Denver uses the CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), which is why Denver's 2027 minimum wage of $19.84 is set separately. CDLE's release says other localities set their own rates by ordinance and that it will update its website as higher local minimums are announced.

Worked example (2027)

A full-time worker at the Colorado 2027 minimum of $15.71 an hour, 40 hours a week, earns $628.40 a week, $1,256.80 every two weeks, $2,723.07 a month and $32,676.80 a year (2,080 hours) before tax. At the 2026 rate of $15.16 the same schedule paid $31,532.80 a year, so the 2027 rate adds $1,144.00. For a tipped worker the direct cash wage is $12.69. With 30 hours a week and tips averaging $2.00 an hour, pay is $14.69 an hour against a $15.71 minimum, so the employer owes a top-up of $1.02 an hour, $30.60 for the week. Part-time at 25 hours a week is $392.75 a week and $20,423.00 a year.

Method

The converter multiplies the hourly rate by your hours per week for weekly pay, doubles it for two weeks, multiplies by 52 weeks (2,080 hours at 40 a week) for annual pay and divides the annual figure by 12 for a month. It is gross pay before tax. The tipped-worker check adds the $12.69 cash wage and your average tips per hour and compares the total with the $15.71 minimum. If the total falls short, the shortfall times your hours is the top-up the employer owes for the week. Figures were read from the sources below on November 9, 2026.

What this does not cover

• Overtime, which is a separate rule, and unpaid time off.
• Local minimum wages that are higher than the state rate. Check the city or county where the work is done.
• Special rates for students, trainees, small employers or other exemptions not named on this page.
• Taxes and deductions: Colorado pay here is gross pay before tax.

Figures read from the sources below on November 9, 2026. Last updated November 9, 2026.

Sources

• Colorado Department of Labor and Employment press release: Colorado minimum wage will increase to $15.71/hour in 2027 (August 13, 2026) (retrieved November 9, 2026)