Teacher Salary in Colorado
What teachers earn across Colorado, and what they keep after tax, rent and everyday costs.
- Median salary
- $66,570
- Median hourly wage
- Not published
- Top 10% earn
- $99,818
- Kept after costs
- $16,542
Pay range
Half of Colorado's 56,450 teachers earn more than $66,570 a year, and half earn less. The US median for the same job is $66,847.
- BLS publishes an annual salary only for this job; school staff are paid for the school year.
Pay over time
In Colorado, teacher pay rose 37% from 2015 to 2025, and was unchanged after inflation.
Yearly figures, 2015 to 2025
| May | Median pay | In 2025 dollars | US median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | $48,769 | $66,244 | $55,843 |
| 2016 | $49,509 | $66,411 | $56,731 |
| 2017 | $50,284 | $66,043 | $57,949 |
| 2018 | $50,730 | $65,041 | $59,019 |
| 2019 | $51,997 | $65,479 | $60,335 |
| 2020 | $53,746 | $66,856 | $61,561 |
| 2021 | $60,370 | $71,726 | $61,530 |
| 2022 | $60,113 | $66,129 | $61,943 |
| 2023 | $62,847 | $66,403 | $64,326 |
| 2024 | $62,294 | $63,933 | $63,245 |
| 2025 | $66,570 | $66,570 | $66,847 |
BLS designs these estimates as yearly snapshots and cautions against reading small year-to-year changes as trends. 2025 dollars use the CPI-U annual average.
What a teacher keeps in Colorado
The median salary, after federal, payroll and state taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Median salary
- $66,570
- Federal income tax
- −$5,815
- Payroll taxes
- −$5,386
- State income tax
- −$2,221
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$19,272
- Everyday costs
- −$17,334
a year, or $1,379 a month
Wages: BLS OEWS. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, statewide. Taxes: 2026 federal and state schedules, single filer.
At three pay levels
Half of teachers in Colorado earn between the lower and higher pay shown here. Same statewide rent, everyday costs and taxes.
| Pay level | Salary | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Lower-paid (25th percentile) | $59,791 | $11,431 |
| Typical (median) | $66,570 | $16,542 |
| Higher-paid (75th percentile) | $81,196 | $26,124 |
Compare cities in Colorado
Pay and rent change from city to city. Here is what a teacher keeps in each Colorado city we cover, using local pay and rent.
| City | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Aurora | $77,772 | $20,343 |
| Denver | $77,772 | $19,686 |
| Fort Collins | $69,813 | $18,525 |
| Colorado Springs | $61,235 | $14,950 |
Workers and pay are BLS metro-area estimates; the middle half earns between the 25th and 75th percentile.
Try a city with your own salary
- Median salary
- $77,772
- Federal income tax
- −$8,280
- Payroll taxes
- −$6,292
- State income tax
- −$2,714
- Local income tax
- −$24
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$22,464
- Everyday costs
- −$17,655
a year, or $1,695 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS metro estimates. Rent: HUD FY2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 schedules, single filer.
Teacher pay in other states
Ranked by what's left after taxes, rent and everyday costs, Colorado comes 41 of 51. The ten states where a teacher keeps the most:
- Washington$40,675
- Ohio$32,802
- Rhode Island$32,178
- Alaska$31,099
- New Mexico$30,023
- Pennsylvania$28,026
- Utah$27,549
- California$26,532
- Massachusetts$25,082
- Wyoming$24,738
- Colorado$16,542
Compare this job in two places: any two cities or states, at three pay levels.
Teacher salary by state
Pay and what's kept for teachers in every other state we cover, A–Z.
Other jobs in Colorado
The 10 jobs closest to a teacher in what they keep: median pay and what's left after the same costs.
| Job | You keep |
|---|---|
| Respiratory therapist$12,874 more | $29,416 |
| Paralegal$7,612 more | $24,154 |
| Firefighter$4,980 more | $21,522 |
| Licensed practical nurse$4,789 more | $21,331 |
| Diesel mechanic$2,561 more | $19,103 |
| HVAC technician$1,027 less | $15,515 |
| Paramedic$2,001 less | $14,541 |
| Social worker$2,020 less | $14,522 |
| Plumber$2,507 less | $14,035 |
| Carpenter$2,817 less | $13,725 |
Moving for a job?
Questions people ask
How much does a teacher make in Colorado?
The median teacher salary in Colorado is $66,570 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $48,867 and the top 10% earn over $99,818 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What does a teacher take home in Colorado?
On the median salary, a teacher in Colorado pays about $13,422 in federal, payroll and state taxes. After a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, they keeps $16,542 a year.
Where in Colorado do teachers keep the most?
Of the Colorado cities we cover, teachers keep the most in Aurora: a median salary of $77,772 and a $1,872 1-bedroom leave $20,343 a year after taxes and everyday costs.
Which states are best for teachers after costs?
Ranked by what's left after taxes, rent and everyday costs, Colorado comes 41 of 51. The top states are Washington ($40,675), Ohio ($32,802), Rhode Island ($32,178).
Do teachers in Colorado earn more than the US average?
No. The Colorado median of $66,570 is $277 below the US median of $66,847.
Sources and method
Occupation codes (SOC): 25-2021, 25-2022, 25-2031. Statewide figures use the state median wage, a population-weighted statewide rent and state price levels; city figures use metro wages and city rents.
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate