StateRates

Denver-Aurora-Centennial salaries

The median worker in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area earned $61,110 a year in 2024, about $29.38 an hour. That ranks #9 of the 391 metro areas published here, 23.5% above the national median.

Colorado

Median pay $61,110 $29.38 per hour
Vs national +23.5% U.S. $49,500
Workers 1,618,390 wage and salary
Metro rank #9 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Denver-Aurora-Centennial pays 5% 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.

Housing here moved -1.1% over the year to 2026 Q2 and +12.2% over five years. Pay and house prices rarely move together, and where they diverge for long the affordability of an area changes even when nothing about the jobs does. House prices in Denver-Aurora-Centennial.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists 6.93× 930 $78,030
Flight Attendants 5.36× 7,320 $61,050
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers 5.31× 5,540 $211,860
Passenger Attendants 4.93× 1,310 $36,400
Information and Record Clerks, All Other 4.69× 7,080 $53,380
Computer Network Architects 4.44× 8,250 $132,870
Sales and Related Workers, All Other 4.31× 4,490 $55,940
Petroleum Engineers 3.95× 790 $168,740
Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other 3.9× 2,060 $37,700
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer 3.83× 3,770 $129,180
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers 3.73× 880 $114,960
Broadcast Technicians 3.37× 750 $62,630

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Denver-Aurora-Centennial
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers $211,860 n/a 5,540
Nurse Anesthetists $207,120 $99.58 220
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates $193,000 $92.79 310
Computer and Information Systems Managers $183,050 $88.00 8,510
Pediatricians, General $182,320 $87.66 280
Lawyers $180,940 $86.99 12,590
Financial Managers $177,470 $85.32 8,190
Architectural and Engineering Managers $177,340 $85.26 2,600
Sales Managers $176,620 $84.91 6,580
Marketing Managers $176,100 $84.66 4,210
Air Traffic Controllers $172,490 $82.93 310
Petroleum Engineers $168,740 $81.13 790
Purchasing Managers $168,630 $81.07 900
Managers, All Other $168,230 $80.88 8,970
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary $162,390 n/a 6,340
Administrative Services Managers $161,040 $77.42 1,440
Optometrists $155,200 $74.62 540
Pharmacists $152,200 $73.17 2,850
Aerospace Engineers $151,800 $72.98 1,910
Database Architects $150,210 $72.22 1,380
Chemical Engineers $140,900 $67.74 550
Industrial Production Managers $140,840 $67.71 780
Training and Development Managers $138,880 $66.77 490
General and Operations Managers $137,950 $66.32 24,070
Sales Engineers $135,420 $65.11 1,900
Medical and Health Services Managers $134,940 $64.88 4,260
Natural Sciences Managers $134,120 $64.48 810
Software Developers $134,120 $64.48 31,190
Physical Scientists, All Other $134,120 $64.48 450
Computer Network Architects $132,870 $63.88 8,250
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products $132,030 $63.48 2,430
Physician Assistants $131,730 $63.33 1,810
Information Security Analysts $131,670 $63.30 3,620
Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians $131,540 $63.24 200
Actuaries $130,990 $62.98 360
Nurse Practitioners $130,630 $62.80 2,190
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $129,180 $62.11 3,770
Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers $128,610 $61.83 1,070
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $128,310 $61.69 1,270
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary $128,040 n/a 280
Veterinarians $127,370 $61.23 1,220
Database Administrators $126,810 $60.97 970
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists $126,260 $60.70 1,430
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $126,030 $60.59 1,390
Commercial Pilots $126,030 n/a 820
Construction Managers $124,850 $60.02 7,860
29-1249 $124,830 $60.02 380
School Psychologists $123,710 $59.48 750
Materials Engineers $123,700 $59.47 360
Computer Systems Analysts $122,950 $59.11 4,510
Computer Programmers $122,580 $58.93 390
Computer Occupations, All Other $122,500 $58.90 4,740
Facilities Managers $121,340 $58.34 990
First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers $120,920 $58.13 840
Engineers, All Other $118,790 $57.11 1,400
Transportation Inspectors $118,790 $57.11 290
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $118,090 $56.77 3,800
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers $114,960 $55.27 880
Speech-Language Pathologists $111,530 $53.62 2,200
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $110,800 n/a 2,680

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Denver-Aurora-Centennial by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Fast Food and Counter Workers 42,620 $36,310 $17.46
Retail Salespersons 39,120 $37,500 $18.03
Stockers and Order Fillers 33,420 $41,600 $20.00
Software Developers 31,190 $134,120 $64.48
Registered Nurses 29,570 $98,500 $47.36
Business Operations Specialists, All Other 28,300 $93,200 $44.81
Customer Service Representatives 28,040 $47,310 $22.74
Cashiers 26,070 $36,270 $17.44
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel 25,240 $80,380 $38.64
General and Operations Managers 24,070 $137,950 $66.32
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 23,790 $37,790 $18.17
Accountants and Auditors 23,290 $95,680 $46.00
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 21,500 $45,700 $21.97
Waiters and Waitresses 21,130 $33,870 $16.28
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 20,900 $37,330 $17.95
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products 20,670 $79,520 $38.23
Project Management Specialists 20,230 $109,970 $52.87
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists 18,890 $80,670 $38.79
Cooks, Restaurant 17,090 $43,420 $20.88
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 15,420 $62,880 $30.23

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 pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?

The median across all occupations is $61,110, or $29.38 an hour, covering 1,618,390 wage and salary workers. The mean is $79,980, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Denver-Aurora-Centennial pay more than the rest of Colorado?

Yes. The metro median of $61,110 is 5% 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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial?

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers ($211,860), Nurse Anesthetists ($207,120), Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates ($193,000). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Denver-Aurora-Centennial unusually full of?

Cartographers and Photogrammetrists, at 6.93× 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.