Make a Colorado pay stub online for records, contractors, employees, or small business pay documentation. Enter earnings, deductions, Colorado tax lines and YTD values, then preview the paystub before you download the PDF.
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Estimated take-home pay, Colorado, 2026
$1,603.36per biweekly check
$41,687.36 a year over 26 checks · $3,473.95 a month on average
Includes Colorado’s own payroll line: Colorado Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance.
Estimated take-home pay $1,603.36 per biweekly check in Colorado, from gross pay of $2,000.00.
First stub free each year · the calculator is free, no account
An estimate from what you entered, using 2026 federal withholding, Social Security, Medicare and state income tax withholding for a standard Form W-4, plus the state’s disability or paid leave line where it has one. City, county and school district taxes are not included. Not tax advice. Colorado paycheck calculator
Colorado state withholding and net pay per biweekly check, after federal withholding, FICA, Colorado withholding and CO FAMLI.
| Gross per check | Single | Married (joint) | Head of household |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,500 | State: $56.69 Net: $1,225.81 | State: $47.38 Net: $1,305.12 | State: same as single Net: $1,264.84 |
| $2,000 | State: $78.69 Net: $1,603.36 | State: $69.38 Net: $1,692.67 | State: same as single Net: $1,644.59 |
| $3,000 | State: $122.69 Net: $2,314.23 | State: $113.38 Net: $2,451.61 | State: same as single Net: $2,399.69 |
“Same as single”: Colorado has no separate withholding rule for that status, so the single rule applies. Net pay still differs because federal withholding depends on filing status.
Scenario: 2026 withholding tables, biweekly pay, one state allowance or the standard W-4, no pre-tax deductions or local taxes. Your figure depends on your W-4 and pay.
Already announced by official sources. Your pay stubs use today's rates until each change starts.
A Colorado pay stub has one flat state tax, one paid-leave premium, and — in Denver and three other cities — a flat monthly "head tax" that has nothing to do with how much you earn. Here is what each line means in 2026:
CO State Income Tax ("CO SIT", "Colorado Withholding"). Colorado taxes income at a flat 4.40% — and unusually, it starts from your federal taxable income, so the federal $16,100 standard deduction is the only deduction; there is no Colorado standard deduction or personal exemption. Withholding (DR 1098) is just as simple: annual wages minus a $5,500 allowance (2026; $11,000 married filing jointly), times 4.4%. Filing the optional Form DR 0004 replaces that allowance with a larger one ($14,000 for a single filer with one job), which brings the stub much closer to the real liability — without it a $60,000 earner has about $466 more withheld than owed. Colorado also has a TABOR mechanism that temporarily cut the rate to 4.25% for 2024 when the state ran a big surplus; 2025 stayed at 4.40%, and withholding is always at 4.40% regardless — any cut comes back as a refund.
CO FAMLI (Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance; labels: "CO FAMLI", "CO PFML", "FAMLI EE"). The 2026 premium is 0.88% of gross wages, split evenly: 0.44% from you, 0.44% from the employer — on wages up to the $184,500 Social Security cap (maximum $811.80 a year). Employers with fewer than 10 employees pay no employer share but still withhold yours. The FAMLI Division Director resets the rate every year and the statute caps the total premium at 1.2%, so the number on your stub can move; you are never required to pay more than half of it.
Occupational Privilege Tax ("Denver OPT", "Head Tax", "Occ Priv"). Colorado has no city or county income tax, but four home-rule cities charge a flat monthly tax on people who work there: Denver $5.75 a month (once you earn $500 in the city in a month — $69 a year whether you make $25,000 or $250,000), Glendale $5, Sheridan $3, Greenwood Village $2. The employer pays a matching business OPT you never see. Aurora repealed its $2 head tax on January 1, 2025 — a stub still deducting it is wrong.
What you will NOT see: an unemployment deduction (Colorado UI is employer-only; the 2026 wage base is $30,600), state disability insurance (none — FAMLI covers medical leave), or a percentage-based local tax. The employer's half of FAMLI and its OPT are employer-side lines.
Plus the federal lines on every US stub: federal income tax, Social Security (6.2% up to $184,500 in 2026), and Medicare (1.45%, plus 0.9% on wages over $200,000). From January 1, 2027: Social Security 6.2% up to $192,300.
| Item | 2026 value |
|---|---|
| State income tax | Flat 4.40% of federal taxable income (C.R.S. 39-22-104); TABOR may cut it temporarily in surplus years |
| Withholding allowance (2026) | $5,500 single · $11,000 married filing jointly (DR 1098); DR 0004 optional |
| CO FAMLI (employee) | 0.44% of wages to $184,500 (half of the 0.88% premium; max $811.80) |
| Employee-paid SUI / SDI | None — UI employer-only ($30,600 wage base); no disability program |
| Local income taxes | None by percentage · Denver OPT $5.75/month, Glendale $5, Sheridan $3, Greenwood Village $2 (employee) |
| Minimum wage | $15.16 Colorado · $19.29 Denver · $18.17 Edgewater · $16.82 Boulder · tipped $12.14 (credit $3.02) From January 1, 2027: $15.71 Colorado (tipped $12.69) · $19.84 Denver |
| Overtime-exempt salary floor | $1,111.23/week ($57,784/yr) — 2026 PAY CALC Order |
| Pay frequency | At least monthly; payday within 10 days of period end (C.R.S. 8-4-103) |
| Pay stub required? | Yes — itemized statement at least monthly with gross, deductions, net, dates, employer name (C.R.S. 8-4-103(4)) |
| Final paycheck | Fired: immediately (within 6 hours of next payroll workday, 24 hours if payroll is off-site) · Quit: next regular payday (C.R.S. 8-4-109) |
Estimated for a single filer taking the standard deduction, including federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, Colorado's 4.4% on federal taxable income, and the employee half of FAMLI — before any city head tax:
| Gross pay | Est. net per year | Net biweekly | Net monthly | Effective tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $33,092 | $1,273 | $2,758 | 17.3% |
| $60,000 | $48,194 | $1,854 | $4,016 | 19.7% |
| $75,000 | $58,671 | $2,257 | $4,889 | 21.8% |
| $100,000 | $75,048 | $2,886 | $6,254 | 25.0% |
| Colorado min wage, full-time ($15.16/hr) | $26,699 | $1,027 | $2,225 | 15.3% |
| Denver min wage, full-time ($19.29/hr) | $33,185 | $1,276 | $2,765 | 17.3% |
Where the money goes at $60,000: Colorado income tax $1,932 (3.2% of gross) plus FAMLI $264 — about $2,196, or 3.7%. Denver workers subtract another $69 for the OPT. Federal income tax and FICA take the other 16%.
Your stub withholds more than this table. With no DR 0004 on file, the $5,500 allowance means about $2,398 of Colorado tax is withheld at $60,000 — roughly $466 above the $1,932 you owe. Filing DR 0004 with the $14,000 single/one-job allowance narrows the gap to about $92.
Methodology: 2026 federal brackets and $16,100 standard deduction (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32), FICA per SSA, Colorado flat 4.40% on federal taxable income (C.R.S. 39-22-104; DR 1098 2026), FAMLI employee premium 0.44% to $184,500 (famli.colorado.gov). The TY2026 TABOR rate determination (September 2026 forecast) is not reflected. Estimates only — your withholding depends on your W-4/DR 0004, credits, and pre-tax benefits.
| Occupation | Median hourly | Median annual |
|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse | $48.20 | $100,260 |
| Software developer | $66.53 | $138,390 |
| Elementary school teacher | — | $63,410 |
| Truck driver (heavy) | $29.57 | $61,500 |
| Construction laborer | $23.03 | $47,900 |
| Customer service rep | $22.86 | $47,540 |
| Waiter / waitress (tips included) | $21.57 | $44,860 |
| Retail salesperson | $18.25 | $37,950 |
Colorado's median hourly wage across all occupations is $28.75 — 17% above the national median of $24.51 and a touch above Maryland and New Jersey. Denver's $19.29 minimum shows at the bottom of the table: retail salespersons ($18.25 statewide) and waiters ($21.57 with tips) earn well above their Texas counterparts.
Final paycheck: fired means paid immediately. Under the Colorado Wage Act (C.R.S. 8-4-109), wages are "due and payable immediately" when the employer ends the relationship — if the payroll office isn't running, within six hours of the start of its next workday, or 24 hours if payroll is handled off-site. If you quit, final pay is due on the next regular payday. After a written demand the employer has 14 days before statutory penalties stack on top of the wages owed. Unclaimed checks must be mailed after 60 days.
Pay frequency: at least monthly, on regular paydays no later than 10 days after the pay period ends, unless you and the employer agree otherwise in writing (C.R.S. 8-4-103(1)).
Is a pay stub required? Yes. C.R.S. 8-4-103(4) requires an itemized written pay statement at least monthly (or each payday) showing gross wages, every withholding and deduction, net wages, the inclusive dates of the pay period, the employee's name or SSN, and the employer's name and address. Records must be kept three years; the fine is up to $250 per employee per month. Hours and rate aren't on the statutory stub list, but the COMPS Order requires the employer to keep them.
Overtime exemption has its own floor. The 2026 PAY CALC Order sets the executive/administrative/professional salary threshold at $1,111.23 a week ($57,784 a year) — well above the federal level. Salaried workers paid less than that are not exempt, and are owed overtime under Colorado's COMPS Order.
Colorado's minimum wage rises with inflation every January 1 under the state constitution — $15.16 for 2026 (tipped $12.14, a $3.02 credit). Since 2019, local governments may set higher rates, and four have:
| Jurisdiction | 2026 minimum wage | Tipped | Already scheduled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado (statewide) | $15.16 | $12.14 | CPI adjustment each Jan 1 (2027 order due ~Dec 2026) |
| Denver | $19.29 | $16.27 (food & beverage only) | $19.84 on Jan 1, 2027 |
| Edgewater | $18.17 | $13.50 (tip credit $4.67) | $19.99 (2027), $21.99 (2028) |
| City of Boulder | $16.82 | $13.80 | $18.17 on Jan 1, 2027 |
| Unincorporated Boulder County | $16.82 | $13.80 | CPI from 2027 |
A full-time Denver minimum-wage job grosses $40,123 — $8,590 more than the same job in Colorado Springs at the state rate — and the Denver worker also pays the $69-a-year OPT. Edgewater was the first city to use the 2025 law (HB25-1208) allowing a larger local tip credit.
| State | Est. net/year | Difference vs CO |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $48,194 | — |
| Arizona (flat 2.5%) | $49,293 | +$1,098 |
| Utah (flat 4.5%) | $48,143 | −$52 |
| New Mexico | $48,727 | +$532 |
| Wyoming (no state income tax) | $50,390 | +$2,196 |
| Texas (no state income tax) | $50,390 | +$2,196 |
Colorado's single-rate tax on federal taxable income lands it in the middle of the Mountain West: a $60,000 earner keeps about $1,100 less than in Arizona and $2,200 less than in Wyoming, but slightly more than in Utah once FAMLI is counted. Colorado has no reciprocal agreements — residents working across a state line are withheld for the work state and claim a Colorado credit.
(The Utah figure is a directional estimate pending that page's full data workup.)
Colorado Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance. In 2026 the premium is 0.88% of gross wages up to the $184,500 Social Security cap, split evenly — 0.44% from you (about $264 a year on a $60,000 salary, maximum $811.80) and 0.44% from your employer. Employers with fewer than 10 employees pay no employer share but still withhold yours. It funds up to 12 weeks of paid leave.
Denver's Occupational Privilege Tax: a flat $5.75 a month withheld from anyone who earns at least $500 in the city in that month, regardless of income — $69 a year. Your employer pays a separate $4.00 business OPT. Glendale ($5), Sheridan ($3), and Greenwood Village ($2) have their own; Aurora repealed its OPT on January 1, 2025. Colorado has no percentage-based city or county income tax.
A single filer earning $60,000 keeps about $48,194 a year — roughly $1,854 per biweekly check, a 19.7% effective rate covering federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, Colorado's flat 4.4% (about $1,932), and the FAMLI premium ($264). A Denver worker pays $69 more for the OPT.
Because Colorado's withholding worksheet (DR 1098) subtracts only a $5,500 allowance from annual wages before applying 4.4%, while the actual tax starts from federal taxable income after the $16,100 standard deduction. Without Form DR 0004, a $60,000 earner has about $466 more withheld than owed. Filing DR 0004 with its $14,000 single/one-job allowance closes most of the gap; any TABOR rate cut also comes back as a refund.
If you are fired or laid off, immediately — within six hours of the start of the payroll office's next workday, or 24 hours if payroll is processed off-site (C.R.S. 8-4-109). If you quit, on the next regular payday. After a written demand the employer has 14 days before penalties apply.
Yes. C.R.S. 8-4-103(4) requires an itemized written pay statement at least monthly or each payday showing gross wages, all withholdings and deductions, net wages, the pay-period dates, your name or SSN, and the employer's name and address. Records are kept three years; violations cost up to $250 per employee per month.
Colorado's statewide minimum is $15.16 ($12.14 tipped) from January 1, 2026. Denver requires $19.29 ($16.27 for tipped food-and-beverage workers) and has already set $19.84 for 2027. Edgewater is $18.17, and the City of Boulder and unincorporated Boulder County are $16.82.