Colorado Paycheck Calculator
Estimate your Colorado take-home pay — federal tax, Colorado's flat state income tax, Social Security, and Medicare all included.
Colorado payroll tax overview
Colorado uses a flat income tax rate of 4.4% on all taxable income — there are no brackets, so the same rate applies to every earner regardless of income level or filing status.
Colorado's state tax system doesn't add any other state-specific payroll deduction, though a handful of Colorado cities — most notably Denver — charge a small flat monthly Occupational Privilege Tax on employees, which is separate from income tax and not modeled in this calculator.
Worked example
A single filer earning $75,000/year in Colorado, paid biweekly:
| Item | Per paycheck | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $2,884.62 | $75,000.00 |
| Federal income tax | ≈ $313.00 | ≈ $8,140.00 |
| Social Security | $178.85 | $4,650.00 |
| Medicare | $41.83 | $1,087.50 |
| Colorado state tax (4.4%) | ≈ $126.92 | ≈ $3,300.00 |
| Net pay | ≈ $2,224.02 | ≈ $57,822.50 |
Local income context: how Colorado compares
According to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, Colorado's median household income is $97,113 — the highest of any landlocked state the 2024 national median of $81,604. Colorado's income is the highest among all landlocked US states, a reflection of Denver's growth as a hub for aerospace, tech, and renewable energy, alongside significant net migration of higher-earning workers from more expensive coastal states over the past decade.
Median household income reflects a full household (often two earners), while the calculator above estimates take-home pay for a single individual's salary — so it's a useful benchmark for context rather than a direct comparison, but it helps illustrate how a given salary stacks up against typical earnings in Colorado.
Frequently asked questions
How Colorado compares to other states
At 4.4%, Colorado's flat rate is moderate compared to other states — noticeably lower than high-tax progressive states like California or New York, but higher than the lowest flat-rate states like Arizona. Colorado's simple, predictable flat-tax structure has been a factor in its strong population and job growth over the past decade, alongside its overall economic and lifestyle appeal.
Colorado cost-of-living context
Cost of living in Colorado varies substantially between the Denver metro area — where housing costs have risen sharply — and smaller cities and mountain towns across the state. When comparing a Colorado job offer to one elsewhere, it's worth weighing the take-home pay this calculator estimates against local housing costs, which differ considerably depending on proximity to Denver and other high-demand areas.
More frequently asked questions
Colorado minimum wage context
Colorado's statewide minimum wage is set above the federal minimum, with scheduled annual adjustments for inflation. Denver sets its own local minimum wage higher than the statewide rate — worth checking separately if you're entering an hourly rate for a Denver-based job into this calculator.