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Colorado Hourly Paycheck Calculator

An hourly wage in Colorado is reduced by federal income tax, FICA of 7.65% (6.2% Social Security up to the annual wage base plus 1.45% Medicare), and a flat 4.4% Colorado income tax in 2026. Enter your wage and hours to see net pay for any pay frequency. Against the 6 states Colorado borders, the same $25 an hour is worth $42,154 here: Wyoming keeps $1,808 more ($43,962), New Mexico keeps $530 more ($42,684), Nebraska keeps $146 more ($42,300), Oklahoma leaves $31 less ($42,123), Kansas leaves $294 less ($41,860) and Utah leaves $532 less ($41,622). Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming are the only borders worth crossing for the tax alone.

Estimated take-home

$1,621

every two weeks · $42,154 a year

For $25/hr, 40 hrs a week · Colorado · local tax not included · single

Take-home 81%Taxes & deductions 19%

Pay stub

ItemPer paycheckPer year
Gross pay$2,000.00$52,000
Federal income tax− $156.15− $4,060
Social Security (FICA)− $124.00− $3,224
Medicare (FICA)− $29.00− $754
Colorado income tax− $60.75− $1,580
CO FAMLI− $8.80− $229
Take-home pay$1,621.29$42,154

FICA is Social Security plus Medicare.

Estimate based on 2026 federal and Colorado tax rules updated Oct 2026 How we calculate

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You keep

81¢of every dollar

On average you keep 81¢ of each dollar. Of your next $1,000, you’d keep about $755: the dashed line.

Insights

  • Next $1,000

    Every extra $1,000 you earn adds about $755 to your take-home. The other $245 goes to tax.

  • In Texas

    In Texas the same pay would leave you $1,808 more a year. Texas has no state income tax.

  • Overtime

    One more overtime hour a week ($37.50) would add about $57 to each paycheck after withholding.

State comparisons cover income and payroll taxes only; living costs and other taxes differ.

Effective tax rate 18.9%

What common hourly wages leave in Colorado

Worked full time at 40 hours a week in Colorado, here is what common wages leave after federal tax, Colorado income tax, FICA and CO FAMLI in 2026:

WageGrossColorado taxYou keepShare kept
$18/hour$37,440$939$31,15983.2%
$25/hour$52,000$1,580$42,15481.1%
$35/hour$72,800$2,495$57,23078.6%

Colorado takes about 3.0% of that money on top of the 8% federal marginal rate and 7.65% FICA, and CO FAMLI takes another 0.44%.

How Colorado ranks on hourly wages

Across all 50 states and DC, Colorado ranks 28th for what $25 an hour leaves in 2026. That is $106 less than the median state ($42,260), and $2,480 more than Oregon, where the same $25 an hour leaves $39,674.

The best outcome anywhere is $43,962 in Alaska and the other states with no wage income tax, $1,808 more than Colorado keeps.

Colorado hourly wages against the states next door

Crossing a state line changes what the same hourly wage is worth without changing what you are paid. Here is $25 an hour in Colorado against the states it borders:

StateState income taxYou keepvs Colorado
Colorado$1,580$42,154—
Kansas$2,102$41,860$294 less
Nebraska$1,662$42,300$146 more
New Mexico$1,278$42,684$530 more
Oklahoma$1,840$42,123$31 less
Utah$2,340$41,622$532 less
WyomingNone$43,962$1,808 more

How hourly take-home pay is calculated in Colorado

Your hourly wage is just the starting point. Colorado workers pay federal and state taxes on their annualized income, plus mandatory FICA contributions. Here's exactly how it works.

  • Annualized income determines your bracket: Your employer annualizes your hourly income (hourly rate × hours × 52 weeks) to determine the correct withholding for each paycheck.
  • Colorado state income tax: Colorado taxes wages at a flat 4.4%, applied to each paycheck based on your annualized income. Local income taxes in some Colorado cities or counties are not included.
  • Social Security and Medicare: FICA taxes are 6.2% for Social Security (up to the annual wage base) and 1.45% for Medicare. These are fixed percentages with no deductions or exemptions.
  • Pre-tax deductions reduce your taxable income: Contributions to a 401(k), HSA, or FSA are deducted before taxes are calculated, lowering both your taxable income and your tax bill.

The calculator combines all these factors to show your exact take-home pay per paycheck, per month, and annually.

Frequently Asked Questions

Hourly wages in Colorado are subject to federal income tax (based on your annualized income and filing status), Colorado's flat 4.4% income tax, and FICA taxes (Social Security at 6.2% up to the annual wage base and Medicare at 1.45%). The calculator annualizes your hourly income to determine the correct tax bracket, then shows your actual per-paycheck take-home.

Multiply your hourly rate by your weekly hours, then by 52: $25/hour × 40 hours × 52 weeks is $52,000 a year. That annualized figure sets your federal and Colorado bracket. In Colorado it works out to $31,159 on $18 an hour, $42,154 on $25 an hour, $57,230 on $35 an hour: take-home, not gross.

Federal income tax (using progressive brackets based on your annualized income and filing status), a flat 4.4% Colorado income tax, Social Security tax (6.2% up to the wage base, currently $176,100 for 2026), and Medicare tax (1.45% on all income, plus 0.9% for earnings over $200,000 if single or $250,000 if married).

Colorado's minimum wage is set by state law and may be higher than the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour. Some cities within Colorado have their own higher local minimums. Check your employer's offer against the current Colorado Department of Labor rates to verify compliance.

Your total annual tax is the same however often you're paid; only the per-paycheck withholding changes. On $25 an hour in Colorado that is about $1,621 every two weeks, $1,756 semi-monthly or $3,513 a month after tax. The calculator adjusts withholding for weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly and monthly periods.

Against the 6 states Colorado borders, the same $25 an hour is worth $42,154 here: Wyoming keeps $1,808 more ($43,962), New Mexico keeps $530 more ($42,684), Nebraska keeps $146 more ($42,300), Oklahoma leaves $31 less ($42,123), Kansas leaves $294 less ($41,860) and Utah leaves $532 less ($41,622). Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming are the only borders worth crossing for the tax alone.

While everyone pays the same 4.4% rate in Colorado, the economic impact differs. A $50,000 earner pays $1,492 (3.0% of salary, after the $16,100 standard deduction) and a $300,000 earner pays $12,492 (4.2%), but the $1,492 comes out of a budget with far less room to spare. Flat taxes are proportionally equal, but not necessarily equitable: lower earners pay a larger percentage of their ability to cover necessities, while high earners benefit from not being pushed into higher brackets like they would be in progressive states.

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