New Colorado Minimum Wage Rates for 2027 in Denver, Boulder & Statewide
Colorado’s minimum wage will rise to $15.71 per hour on January 1, 2027, up from $15.16 in 2026, a 3.6% increase according to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE). Denver and Boulder operate separate, higher local minimums that Colorado employers must track independently. If you have employees working anywhere in Colorado, these are the numbers that govern your payroll on January 1.
What Are the 2027 Colorado Minimum Wage Rates?
The statewide rate is the floor. Local jurisdictions that have established their own minimum wages set higher rates, and those rates apply to employees working within their boundaries, regardless of where the employer is headquartered.
Here is every confirmed 2027 rate in one place:
- Colorado (statewide): $15.71/hr in 2027, up from $15.16/hr in 2026 (+$0.55, +3.6%)
- Denver (citywide): $19.84/hr in 2027, up from $19.29/hr in 2026 (+$0.55)
- Boulder (city): $18.17/hr in 2027, up from $16.82/hr in 2026 (+$1.35, ~8%)
- Boulder County (unincorporated): 2027 rate TBD; 2025 rate was $16.57/hr
- Edgewater: 2027 rate TBD; 2025 rate was $16.52/hr
Boulder County unincorporated and Edgewater 2027 rates have not yet been published. The 2025 rates are shown for reference. Watch the CDLE and local government pages for updates.
For Colorado employers, the operative rule is straightforward: whichever rate, state or local, is higher applies to workers in that location.
How Much Has Colorado’s Minimum Wage Grown Since 2019?
The 2027 rate of $15.71 represents a 41.5% increase from Colorado’s 2019 statewide minimum wage of $11.10 per hour, according to the Denver Gazette. That cumulative climb has happened across eight years of annual adjustments, each one indexed to cost-of-living factors tracked by the CDLE. For employers, this trajectory matters: it signals that year-over-year wage floor increases have become a recurring planning reality, not a one-time event.
The most significant single-year jump in the current 2027 cycle belongs to Boulder, where the minimum wage rises by approximately $1.35, roughly 8%, compared to a $0.55 increase statewide and in Denver. No official explanation for the steeper Boulder increase has been published, but Boulder has historically set its rate using a separate local methodology that can diverge more sharply from the state formula in any given year.
The gap between Boulder and the statewide minimum now stands at $2.46 per hour, a meaningful payroll cost differential for businesses operating in or near Boulder.
What Does the Tipped Wage Change in 2027?
Colorado’s tipped minimum wage will rise to $12.69 per hour in 2027, according to the CDLE. This applies to employees who regularly receive tips, provided their total compensation (base wage plus tips) meets or exceeds the standard minimum wage for all hours worked.
The gap between the tipped wage ($12.69) and the standard statewide wage ($15.71) is $3.02 per hour. Employers in food service and hospitality must ensure tip earnings close that gap for every employee in every pay period, or pay the difference. Tracking this correctly is an administrative and compliance obligation that grows heavier as the base rates rise each year.
For tipped-wage employers, payroll accuracy in 2027 means verifying that total compensation meets $15.71 per hour even when the posted base rate is $12.69.
Which Rate Applies to Your Colorado Business?
The jurisdiction where the work is performed, not where the company is registered, determines which minimum wage applies. Here is how to identify the right rate:
- Identify where each employee physically performs their work. Remote employees working from home are covered by the rate in their home jurisdiction.
- Check whether that location is within a city or county with a local minimum wage ordinance. Denver and Boulder have established rates above the state floor; Edgewater and unincorporated Boulder County also operate local rates.
- Apply the higher of the state or local rate. The state rate ($15.71) is the minimum floor; local rates that exceed it take precedence.
- Update your payroll system effective January 1, 2027. New rates take effect on the first day of the year.
- Post updated minimum wage notices. Colorado employers are required to display current wage information in the workplace. Updated postings are typically available through the CDLE.
Employers with workers in multiple Colorado jurisdictions must track each location’s rate separately. A single payroll run-rate applied statewide will underpay Denver and Boulder employees starting January 1.
What This Means for Colorado Employers
Annual minimum wage adjustments trigger real administrative work: payroll system updates, wage posting replacements, offer letter and handbook reviews, and, for tipped employers, pay period reconciliation. For businesses managing this internally without dedicated HR support, each year’s increase adds another compliance checkpoint to an already full plate.
StaffScapes is Colorado’s longest-standing privately owned PEO, with 25+ years helping small and midsize businesses navigate exactly this kind of recurring compliance requirement. A dedicated team, not a ticketing system, tracks wage law changes, updates payroll configurations, and makes sure you’re posting the right numbers for the right jurisdictions before January 1 arrives.
Colorado employers who want to stay ahead of the 2027 changes can schedule a free consultation with StaffScapes to review their current payroll setup and compliance posture.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Colorado’s minimum wage in 2027?
Colorado’s statewide minimum wage will be $15.71 per hour starting January 1, 2027, up from $15.16 in 2026. This is a 3.6% increase, as announced by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. Local jurisdictions such as Denver ($19.84) and Boulder ($18.17) have higher rates that apply to employees working within their boundaries.
What is Denver’s minimum wage in 2027?
Denver’s citywide minimum wage will be $19.84 per hour in 2027, an increase from $19.29 in 2026. This rate applies to employees who perform work within Denver city limits, regardless of where the employer is headquartered. The Denver rate is set independently by the City and County of Denver Auditor’s Office.
What is the tipped minimum wage in Colorado for 2027?
Colorado’s tipped minimum wage will be $12.69 per hour in 2027, per the CDLE. Employers must ensure that tips received by each employee bring their total hourly compensation up to at least the standard minimum wage of $15.71. If tips fall short, the employer is required to make up the difference.
What is Boulder’s minimum wage in 2027?
Boulder’s minimum wage will be $18.17 per hour in 2027, rising from $16.82 in 2026, an increase of approximately $1.35, or roughly 8%. This is the steepest percentage increase among confirmed Colorado jurisdictions for 2027. The Boulder rate applies to employees working within Boulder city limits.
When do the 2027 Colorado minimum wage rates take effect?
All 2027 minimum wage rates in Colorado take effect on January 1, 2027. Employers should update payroll systems, workplace postings, and any affected employment agreements before that date. Rates for Boulder County unincorporated areas and Edgewater have not yet been published and should be monitored through local government sources.