Average Salaries in Boulder, CO
Explore salaries across 426 occupations in Boulder, CO. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $75.8K, +23.2% 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 2024 estimates. Coverage: 426 occupations and 184,160 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 Computer And Information Systems Managers. 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.
Top wages
Highest-paid occupations in Boulder, CO
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $202.3K | 1,350 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $195.8K | 650 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $188.4K | 240 |
| Sales Managers | $183.9K | 890 |
| Financial Managers | $177.9K | 760 |
| Database Architects | $174.9K | 260 |
| Managers, All Other | $173.5K | 1,080 |
| Training And Development Managers | $173.1K | 40 |
| Marketing Managers | $172.7K | 660 |
| Purchasing Managers | $167.4K | 70 |
Most jobs
Largest occupations in Boulder, CO
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | 7,790 | $159.7K |
| Retail Salespersons | 5,000 | $37.7K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 4,510 | $36.1K |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 4,090 | $95.5K |
| Sales Representatives Of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, And Travel | 4,070 | $91.5K |
| Cashiers | 3,250 | $37.1K |
| Registered Nurses | 3,140 | $99.5K |
| General And Operations Managers | 3,100 | $147.8K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 2,940 | $45.3K |
| Market Research Analysts And Marketing Specialists | 2,840 | $92.6K |
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.
Location quotient
Most concentrated occupations in Boulder, CO
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Physicists | 32.76 | $144.7K |
| Aerospace Engineers | 12.95 | $143.2K |
| Grounds Maintenance Workers, All Other | 9.53 | $30.5K |
| Biochemists And Biophysicists | 8.24 | $126.8K |
| Environmental Scientists And Specialists, Including Health | 7.64 | $86.7K |
| Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, And Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | 7.62 | $65.6K |
| Zoologists And Wildlife Biologists | 7.30 | $67.0K |
| Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | 7.22 | $84.1K |
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | 6.97 | N/A |
| Chemical Engineers | 6.77 | $113.2K |
Peer markets
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $90.4K | Training And Development Managers |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $89.2K | Natural Sciences Managers |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $81.4K | Nurse Anesthetists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $80.1K | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $78.4K | Nurse Anesthetists |
| Vallejo, CA | $77.4K | Lawyers |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $77.2K | Podiatrists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $77.1K | Neurologists |
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.