Boulder Minimum Wage (2026)
Built & reviewed by Nandu Kannan · Overtime rules cited to primary statutes
Boulder's minimum wage is $16.82 an hour in 2026, effective January 1, 2026 — $1.66 above Colorado's $15.16 state minimum. Both the City of Boulder and Boulder County set $16.82; tipped workers have a $13.80 cash wage with tips making up the rest.
Boulder minimum-wage pay calculator
Pre-set to Boulder's $16.82 minimum. Change the hours, add overtime, and see weekly, monthly and annual gross pay update instantly.
Gross pay before taxes, at Boulder's minimum wage. Overtime at 1.5× the regular rate (federal FLSA); some states add daily overtime — see the state overtime calculator. Not payroll advice.
Boulder vs. Colorado vs. federal minimum wage
Boulder's local minimum of $16.82 is $1.66 above Colorado's $15.16 and $9.57 above the federal $7.25. When city, state and federal minimum wages differ, employers must pay whichever is highest — so workers in Boulder are entitled to the $16.82 local rate.
Minimum-wage pay & overtime in Boulder
At $16.82 an hour, overtime (1.5×) is $25.23 per hour. Run your own numbers with the Colorado overtime calculator, see take-home pay with the Colorado paycheck calculator, or convert it to a yearly figure with the salary to hourly calculator.
Employer size & coverage
Both the City of Boulder and Boulder County set $16.82; tipped workers have a $13.80 cash wage with tips making up the rest.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage in Boulder in 2026?
The minimum wage in Boulder is $16.82 per hour in 2026, effective January 1, 2026. Both the City of Boulder and Boulder County set $16.82; tipped workers have a $13.80 cash wage with tips making up the rest.
How much is Boulder's minimum wage per year?
At $16.82 an hour, full-time (40 hours a week, 52 weeks) is about $34,986 a year before taxes, or $673 a week.
Is Boulder's minimum wage higher than Colorado's?
Yes. Boulder's $16.82 is $1.66 above Colorado's $15.16 minimum. When a city sets a higher local minimum wage, employers in that city must pay the higher local rate.
What is overtime pay on Boulder's minimum wage?
Overtime is 1.5× your regular rate, so a minimum-wage worker in Boulder at $16.82 earns $25.23 per overtime hour.
What is the tipped minimum wage in Boulder?
Boulder's tipped cash wage is $13.80; tips must bring it to $16.82.
Boulder rate effective January 1, 2026, as of June 2026. Source: City of Boulder; GovDocs 2026 — official Boulder minimum-wage page, cross-checked against the UC Berkeley Labor Center inventory of local minimum-wage ordinances. Local minimum wages change, can adjust mid-year, and vary by employer size and industry — verify the current figure with your city before relying on it. General information, not legal or payroll advice.
Related
Colorado minimum wage · Cities with their own minimum wage · Minimum wage by state · Colorado paycheck · Salary to Hourly
Other cities with their own minimum wage
Denver — $19.29 · Portland — $16.75 · New York City — $17.00 · Chicago — $17.05