Is Colorado a good state for your salary to go far?

Colorado ranks #14 of 51 states on the Gera US Real Pay Index, with a mean index of 102.7 across 370 occupations (100 = the average state). Its 2024 BEA cost of living is 103.1 (US = 100), and its 2025 state income tax schedule is applied to each occupation's median wage.

What is the cost of living in Colorado?

Colorado's Regional Price Parity (All Items) for 2024 is 103.1, where the US average is 100. That is above the national average, so a dollar buys less than it does nationally. The Gera US Real Pay Index divides take-home pay by this figure to express salaries in purchasing-power-equivalent dollars.

GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Colorado

Where Your Salary Goes Furthest in Colorado

Colorado ranks #14 of 51 states on the Gera US Real Pay Index (mean 102.7, base = 100). Cost of living 103.1 (US = 100); top income tax 4.40%.

Does a salary go further in Colorado? (cost of living + state tax)

In Colorado, the cost of living is 103.1 on the BEA index (US = 100) and the Gera US Real Pay Index averages 102.7 across 370 occupations, ranking it #14 of 51 states for how far pay goes after 2025 state income tax and 2024 BEA cost of living. Real BLS OEWS; re-dated annually.

Source:U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)·As of May 2025 state estimates · updated annually · last refreshed 19 June 2026

Gera US Real Pay Index

Colorado ranks #14 of 51 states. Mean across 370 occupations; 100 = the average state, 102.7 means pay goes 2.7% further after tax and cost of living.

How this is calculated

102.7

Real pay by occupation in Colorado (best first)

Occupation	BLS median	Real pay	Index
Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers	$100,080	$93,483	138.1
School Psychologists	$124,770	$116,388	136.1
Administrative Services Managers	$157,000	$146,287	130.3
Waiters and Waitresses	$44,860	$42,256	125.1
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers	$97,350	$90,951	124.0
Computer Occupations, All Other	$139,580	$130,127	123.3
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers	$110,450	$103,103	123.3
Lodging Managers	$91,750	$85,756	122.3
Sales Managers	$180,850	$168,413	122.2
Firefighters	$74,170	$69,447	121.6
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary	$136,930	$127,669	121.6
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products	$135,000	$125,878	121.5
Managers, All Other	$171,140	$159,405	120.9
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists	$93,050	$86,962	120.3
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers	$50,390	$47,387	119.7
Lawyers	$168,520	$156,974	118.4
Paralegals and Legal Assistants	$78,190	$73,176	118.4
Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists	$92,560	$86,507	118.4
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers	$114,410	$106,777	118.1
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers	$38,380	$36,245	117.6
Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians	$94,190	$88,019	117.5
Childcare Workers	$40,750	$38,444	117.1
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	$126,810	$118,280	117.0
Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other	$64,090	$60,096	116.9
Loan Officers	$94,520	$88,325	116.3
Cooks, Short Order	$42,450	$40,021	116.3
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators	$74,200	$69,475	116.2
Insurance Underwriters	$100,640	$94,003	115.8
Physical Therapist Aides	$41,970	$39,575	115.7
Computer and Information Systems Managers	$199,420	$185,640	115.5
Computer Systems Analysts	$127,750	$119,152	115.5
Office Clerks, General	$53,550	$50,318	115.2
Purchasing Managers	$171,250	$159,507	115.1
General and Operations Managers	$131,840	$122,947	115.0
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers	$132,610	$123,661	114.6
Financial Managers	$182,690	$170,120	114.4
Social and Community Service Managers	$97,440	$91,034	114.4
Speech-Language Pathologists	$110,750	$103,382	114.2
Urban and Regional Planners	$101,340	$94,652	114.0
First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services	$58,640	$55,040	113.9

Showing the 40 highest real-pay occupations of 370 BLS publishes for Colorado. Real pay = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the 2024 BEA cost of living (103.1, US = 100).

Where does your salary go furthest?

Enter a salary and a state. We adjust for 2025 state income tax and the 2024 BEA cost of living to show your real, purchasing-power-equivalent pay — then rank every state.

Gross annual salary (USD)Compare against state

In Colorado, a $85,000 salary is worth about $78,853 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.

State income tax $3,740 (flat 4.40%) · take-home $81,260 · BEA cost of living 103.1 (US = 100).

The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $95,952, a $17,099 gain over Colorado.

#	State	Real value	Cost (RPP)
1	South Dakota	$95,952	88.6
2	Arkansas	$93,959	86.9
3	Louisiana	$93,473	88.2
4	Mississippi	$93,453	87.0
5	Iowa	$93,172	87.8
6	North Dakota	$93,161	89.0
7	Tennessee	$92,522	91.9
8	Oklahoma	$92,167	87.8
9	Wyoming	$91,703	92.7
10	Alabama	$90,911	88.8
11	Kentucky	$90,507	90.2
12	West Virginia	$90,397	89.5

Browse US jobs with salaries

Estimate only. State income tax is approximated from each state's 2025 flat rate (or top marginal rate as an upper bound for graduated states) and ignores federal tax, deductions and credits. The pre-published occupation and state pages use exact 2025 bracket math. Cost of living is the 2024 BEA Regional Price Parity (All Items).

Colorado real pay — FAQ

Is Colorado a good state for your salary to go far?: Colorado ranks #14 of 51 states on the Gera US Real Pay Index, with a mean index of 102.7 across 370 occupations (100 = the average state). Its 2024 BEA cost of living is 103.1 (US = 100), and its 2025 state income tax schedule is applied to each occupation's median wage.
What is the cost of living in Colorado?: Colorado's Regional Price Parity (All Items) for 2024 is 103.1, where the US average is 100. That is above the national average, so a dollar buys less than it does nationally. The Gera US Real Pay Index divides take-home pay by this figure to express salaries in purchasing-power-equivalent dollars.

Compare other states

Get the Gera US Real Pay Index when BLS refreshes OEWS

BLS OEWS and BEA cost-of-living data update roughly once a year. Save your email and we’ll send the refreshed rankings.

Related on GeraJobs

Gera US Real Pay Index — all states ranked
Methodology — the exact BLS + BEA + tax computation.
Browse US jobs with salary ranges

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 state estimates); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (All Items), by state (2024 (US = 100)); Tax Foundation — 2025 State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets. The Gera US Real Pay Index for Colorado is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.