Average Salaries in Boulder, CO
Explore salaries across 425 occupations in Boulder, CO. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $82.3K, +25.1% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates. Coverage: 425 occupations and 181,330 total jobs in Boulder, CO.
How the metro compares
Boulder, CO is one of the higher-paying metros in the country. Average wages here run meaningfully above the national level, though local cost of living often offsets some of that premium.
Boulder, CO is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Surgeons, All Other. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Boulder, CO
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Highest-paid occupations in Boulder, CO
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Surgeons, All Other | $465.9K | 50 |
| Physicians, All Other | $453.5K | 110 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $297.1K | 230 |
| Chief Executives | $216.4K | 110 |
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $211.6K | 130 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $210.3K | 310 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $206.3K | 1,220 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $203.4K | 680 |
| Sales Managers | $201K | 740 |
| Marketing Managers | $199.6K | 630 |
Largest occupations in Boulder, CO
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | 7,130 | $164.6K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 4,880 | $36.2K |
| Retail Salespersons | 4,880 | $38.7K |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 3,610 | $94K |
| Sales Representatives Of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, And Travel | 3,230 | $100K |
| Registered Nurses | 3,140 | $103.3K |
| Market Research Analysts And Marketing Specialists | 3,130 | $97.6K |
| Cashiers | 3,100 | $38.5K |
| Project Management Specialists | 2,920 | $122K |
| General And Operations Managers | 2,750 | $152.1K |
What Boulder, CO specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Boulder, CO than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Boulder, CO
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Atmospheric And Space Scientists | 50.38 | $121.9K |
| Physicists | 33.89 | $104.6K |
| Aerospace Engineering And Operations Technologists And Technicians | 15.47 | N/A |
| Grounds Maintenance Workers, All Other | 11.02 | $31.5K |
| Aerospace Engineers | 9.56 | $167.2K |
| Biochemists And Biophysicists | 9.34 | $140.7K |
| Computer Network Architects | 9.00 | $156.4K |
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | 7.71 | $211.6K |
| Materials Engineers | 7.58 | $151.9K |
| Chemical Engineers | 7.35 | $125.8K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92.6K | Cardiologists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87.1K | Cardiologists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83.8K | Radiologists |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82.7K | Radiologists |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $81.8K | Cardiologists |
Common salary questions for Boulder, CO
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other metros with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.