Colorado Minimum Wage

The Colorado minimum wage for 2026 and 2027, the tipped and youth rates, local city and county minimums, and how the rate is set each year. Every figure links to its official source below.

Colorado minimum wage, 2026 and 2027

Rate	2026 (now)	2027
Standard minimum wage	$15.16	$15.71
Tipped employees (cash wage) Plus tips, which must bring the total up to the full minimum wage.	$12.14	$12.69

Current rate in effect since January 1, 2026; next statewide change: the rate rises to $15.71 on January 1, 2027.

Tipped workers

With the tip credit, the lowest cash wage for tipped employees is $12.14 in 2026 and $12.69 from January 1, 2027. Tips must bring the total to the full minimum wage.

Minors, trainees and other rates

Most minors (but not emancipated minors) can be paid 15% below the full Colorado minimum wage, subject to the limits in the Colorado Youth Employment Standards Rules.

Local minimum wages in Colorado

Several Colorado localities set a higher minimum wage. CDLE publishes all of them in one table; where a local rate applies, it replaces the state rate.

City or county	Current rate	Next rate	Notes
Denver (city and county)	$19.29since January 1, 2026	$19.84January 1, 2027	Tipped: $16.27 in 2026, $16.82 in 2027.
Edgewater	$18.17since January 1, 2026	$19.84January 1, 2027	Tipped rate for 2027 not yet announced.
City of Boulder	$16.82since January 1, 2026	$18.17January 1, 2027	Tipped: $13.80 in 2026, $15.15 in 2027.
Boulder County (unincorporated areas only)	$16.82since January 1, 2026	Not yet announcedJanuary 1, 2027	Tipped: $13.80 in 2026.

How the Colorado minimum wage is set

Colorado's constitution adjusts the minimum wage for inflation every year using the consumer price index for all urban consumers (CPI-U). CDLE announced the 2027 rate in August 2026; it takes effect January 1. Denver adjusts its own rate using the CPI-W instead.

What does $15.16 an hour leave you after tax in Colorado? Run it through the paycheck calculator.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum wage in Colorado in 2026?

$15.16 an hour, in effect since January 1, 2026.

What will the Colorado minimum wage be in 2027?

The statewide rate rises to $15.71 on January 1, 2027.

What is the tipped minimum wage in Colorado?

With the tip credit, the lowest cash wage for tipped employees is $12.14 in 2026 and $12.69 from January 1, 2027. Tips must bring the total to the full minimum wage.

Can minors be paid less than the minimum wage in Colorado?

Most minors (but not emancipated minors) can be paid 15% below the full Colorado minimum wage, subject to the limits in the Colorado Youth Employment Standards Rules.

How is the Colorado minimum wage adjusted each year?

Do cities in Colorado have a higher minimum wage?

Several Colorado localities set a higher minimum wage. CDLE publishes all of them in one table; where a local rate applies, it replaces the state rate.

Minimum wage in other states

Every state side by side: minimum wage by state 2026 and minimum wage by state 2027.

California Minimum Wage

$16.90 now; tipped, youth and local rates.

Florida Minimum Wage

$15.00 now; tipped, youth and local rates.

Ohio Minimum Wage

$11.00 now; tipped, youth and local rates.

Michigan Minimum Wage

$13.73 now; tipped, youth and local rates.

Arizona Minimum Wage

$15.15 now; tipped, youth and local rates.

Washington Minimum Wage

$17.13 now; tipped, youth and local rates.

Illinois Minimum Wage

$15.00 now; tipped, youth and local rates.