Home / Wages / Boulder Boulder salaries The median worker in the Boulder, CO metro area earned $67,510 a year in 2024, about $32.46 an hour. That ranks #5 of the 391 metro areas published here, 36.4% above the national median.
Colorado
Median pay $67,510 $32.46 per hour
Vs national +36.4% U.S. $49,500
Workers 195,570 wage and salary
Metro rank #5 of 391 by median pay
What this labour market looks like Boulder pays 16% more than Colorado as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.
Unusually concentrated here Occupations against their national share, 2024 Occupation Concentration Employed Median Physicists 32.76× 890 $144,670 Aerospace Engineers 12.95× 1,120 $143,210 Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health 7.64× 820 $86,720 Computer Network Architects 6.28× 1,410 $162,320 Electronics Engineers, Except Computer 5.32× 630 $138,600 Information and Record Clerks, All Other 5.14× 940 $53,230 Sales and Related Workers, All Other 4.09× 510 $64,170 Software Developers 3.71× 7,790 $159,670 Mechanical Engineers 3.03× 1,100 $110,650 Food Batchmakers 2.89× 630 $42,340 Business Operations Specialists, All Other 2.86× 4,090 $95,470 Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers 2.79× 510 $36,400
Best paid occupations Highest median pay in Boulder Occupation Median Hourly Employed Computer and Information Systems Managers $202,270 $97.24 1,350 Architectural and Engineering Managers $195,790 $94.13 650 Natural Sciences Managers $188,360 $90.56 240 Sales Managers $183,880 $88.41 890 Financial Managers $177,910 $85.54 760 Database Architects $174,880 $84.08 260 Managers, All Other $173,490 $83.41 1,080 Marketing Managers $172,740 $83.05 660 Human Resources Managers $166,430 $80.02 260 Computer Network Architects $162,320 $78.04 1,410 Software Developers $159,670 $76.76 7,790 Pharmacists $157,450 $75.70 270 Information Security Analysts $156,410 $75.20 430 General and Operations Managers $147,810 $71.06 3,100 Physicists $144,670 $69.55 890 Industrial Production Managers $144,590 $69.51 220 Aerospace Engineers $143,210 $68.85 1,120 Computer Hardware Engineers $142,200 $68.37 480 Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $138,600 $66.64 630 Physician Assistants $135,890 $65.33 240 Nurse Practitioners $134,670 $64.75 260 Sales Engineers $134,640 $64.73 340 Web and Digital Interface Designers $134,360 $64.60 430 Engineers, All Other $132,300 $63.61 480 Administrative Services Managers $131,190 $63.07 300 Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $131,060 n/a 350 Medical and Health Services Managers $130,800 $62.89 500 Electrical Engineers $127,670 $61.38 600 Speech-Language Pathologists $126,890 $61.00 330 Biochemists and Biophysicists $126,800 $60.96 360 Dental Hygienists $125,980 $60.57 400 Project Management Specialists $125,960 $60.56 2,540 Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $123,350 $59.30 250 Data Scientists $121,870 $58.59 650 Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $118,710 $57.07 550 First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers $113,790 $54.71 670 Construction Managers $110,910 $53.32 530 Industrial Engineers $110,710 $53.23 940 Mechanical Engineers $110,650 $53.20 1,100 Network and Computer Systems Administrators $109,320 $52.56 800 Occupational Therapists $108,410 $52.12 230 Management Analysts $106,660 $51.28 780 Financial and Investment Analysts $103,060 $49.55 530 Civil Engineers $102,990 $49.51 580 Chemists $102,600 $49.33 470 Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $101,240 $48.68 350 Architects, Except Landscape and Naval $100,580 $48.36 380 Technical Writers $99,740 $47.95 280 Registered Nurses $99,530 $47.85 3,140 Physical Therapists $98,780 $47.49 460 Financial Specialists, All Other $97,040 $46.66 240 Business Operations Specialists, All Other $95,470 $45.90 4,090 Compliance Officers $95,380 $45.86 460 Accountants and Auditors $94,450 $45.41 2,340 Logisticians $94,030 $45.21 450 Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $92,570 $44.51 2,840 Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel $91,530 $44.00 4,070 Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $86,720 $41.69 820 First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $86,330 $41.51 590 Buyers and Purchasing Agents $85,220 $40.97 750
Where most people work Largest occupations in Boulder by employment Occupation Employed Median Hourly Software Developers 7,790 $159,670 $76.76 Retail Salespersons 5,000 $37,720 $18.14 Fast Food and Counter Workers 4,510 $36,130 $17.37 Business Operations Specialists, All Other 4,090 $95,470 $45.90 Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel 4,070 $91,530 $44.00 Cashiers 3,250 $37,120 $17.85 Registered Nurses 3,140 $99,530 $47.85 General and Operations Managers 3,100 $147,810 $71.06 Waiters and Waitresses 2,940 $45,330 $21.79 Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists 2,840 $92,570 $44.51 Cooks, Restaurant 2,650 $41,390 $19.90 Project Management Specialists 2,540 $125,960 $60.56 Accountants and Auditors 2,340 $94,450 $45.41 Customer Service Representatives 2,340 $46,230 $22.22 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products 2,130 $80,930 $38.91 Office Clerks, General 2,080 $60,320 $29.00 Stockers and Order Fillers 1,990 $40,770 $19.60 Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 1,700 $42,150 $20.27 Computer User Support Specialists 1,660 $72,230 $34.73 First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 1,650 $76,270 $36.67
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.
Other Colorado metro areas Denver-Aurora-Centennial 1,618,390 workers $61,110 Fort Collins-Loveland 175,790 workers $53,620 Greeley 115,470 workers $52,110 Colorado Springs 318,850 workers $51,410 Pueblo 62,700 workers $47,780 Grand Junction 66,890 workers $47,250 Boulder pay: common questions What is the average salary in Boulder? The median across all occupations is $67,510 , or $32.46 an hour, covering 195,570 wage and salary workers. The mean is $92,590, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.
Does Boulder pay more than the rest of Colorado? Yes. The metro median of $67,510 is 16% above the Colorado median of $58,210. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.
Which jobs pay best in Boulder? Computer and Information Systems Managers ($202,270), Architectural and Engineering Managers ($195,790), Natural Sciences Managers ($188,360). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.
What is Boulder unusually full of? Physicists, at 32.76× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.