Denver, CO Salary Guide (2024)
The median annual wage across all occupations in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area is $61,110, spread over roughly 1,618,390 jobs. This guide breaks that down across 80 detailed occupations with released wage data, from fast food and counter workers down to the smallest job categories BLS can publish.
Salary by occupation in Denver, CO
Ranked by median annual wage. Every row links to a full page with the local pay distribution, the percentile breakdown, and how the metro compares with the rest of the country.
| Occupation | Hourly | Annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $17.46 | $36,310 | 42,620 |
| Retail Salespersons | $18.03 | $37,500 | 39,120 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $20.00 | $41,600 | 33,420 |
| Software Developers | $64.48 | $134,120 | 31,190 |
| Registered Nurses | $47.36 | $98,500 | 29,570 |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | $44.81 | $93,200 | 28,300 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $22.75 | $47,310 | 28,040 |
| Cashiers | $17.44 | $36,270 | 26,070 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $38.64 | $80,380 | 25,240 |
| General and Operations Managers | $66.32 | $137,950 | 24,070 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $18.17 | $37,790 | 23,790 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $46.00 | $95,680 | 23,290 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $21.97 | $45,700 | 21,500 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $16.28 | $33,870 | 21,130 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $17.95 | $37,330 | 20,900 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $38.23 | $79,520 | 20,670 |
| Project Management Specialists | $52.87 | $109,970 | 20,230 |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | $38.78 | $80,670 | 18,890 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | $20.88 | $43,420 | 17,090 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $30.23 | $62,880 | 15,420 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $23.76 | $49,420 | 15,370 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $36.68 | $76,290 | 14,860 |
| Office Clerks, General | $28.33 | $58,920 | 14,430 |
| Human Resources Specialists | $38.10 | $79,240 | 13,940 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $24.30 | $50,540 | 13,770 |
| Lawyers | $86.99 | $180,940 | 12,590 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | $27.62 | $57,440 | 12,420 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | $27.86 | $57,940 | 12,270 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $30.80 | $64,070 | 12,000 |
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | $21.67 | $45,070 | 11,510 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $39.02 | $81,160 | 11,390 |
| Management Analysts | $50.32 | $104,660 | 11,260 |
| Security Guards | $22.25 | $46,270 | 11,100 |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | $25.25 | $52,510 | 11,060 |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | $15.93 | $33,130 | 11,020 |
| Electricians | $30.29 | $63,010 | 10,600 |
| Bartenders | $15.64 | $32,530 | 10,140 |
| Construction Laborers | $23.13 | $48,110 | 9,910 |
| Nursing Assistants | $22.60 | $47,000 | 9,680 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $36.66 | $76,260 | 8,970 |
| Managers, All Other | $80.88 | $168,230 | 8,970 |
| Computer User Support Specialists | $33.63 | $69,940 | 8,970 |
| Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks | $22.22 | $46,220 | 8,840 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $88.00 | $183,050 | 8,510 |
| Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents | $31.72 | $65,970 | 8,290 |
| Computer Network Architects | $63.88 | $132,870 | 8,250 |
| Counter and Rental Clerks | $21.75 | $45,230 | 8,240 |
| Financial Managers | $85.32 | $177,470 | 8,190 |
| Light Truck Drivers | $22.97 | $47,770 | 7,960 |
| Construction Managers | $60.02 | $124,850 | 7,860 |
Median pay across these occupations runs from $32,530 to $183,050 — a 5.6× spread between the lowest- and highest-paid detailed occupations in the metro. The all-occupation median of $61,110 sits nearer the bottom of that range, because the largest job categories in most metros are also among the lower-paid ones.
Frequently asked questions about Denver, CO pay
What is the median salary in Denver, CO?
Across all occupations, the median annual wage in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area is $61,110. Total employment covered by the survey is about 1,618,390 jobs.
Which jobs pay the most in Denver, CO?
The highest median wage in the metro belongs to fast food and counter workers at $36,310, followed by retail salespersons ($37,500) and stockers and order fillers ($41,600).
How many occupations are covered for Denver, CO?
This guide covers 80 detailed occupations with released wage data for the metro area, out of the 800+ detailed occupations the OEWS survey tracks nationally. Occupations with too few workers locally to publish a reliable estimate are excluded by BLS.
Is this enough to live on in Denver, CO?
These are nominal wages — they are not adjusted for local housing, tax, or transport costs. A median that looks high in Denver, CO may buy less than a lower median in a cheaper metro. Use the all-occupation median of $61,110 as the local baseline and compare any specific job against that, not against the national number.
About these figures
Data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024. OEWS surveys employers, so it excludes self-employed workers and independent contractors, and it reports wages rather than total compensation. Occupations with too few workers locally to produce a reliable estimate are suppressed by BLS and therefore absent from this page.
Full detail in the methodology. Original data: bls.gov/oes.