Average Salaries in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
Explore salaries across 658 occupations in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $78.5K, +19.4% 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: 658 occupations and 1,583,220 total jobs in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO.
How the metro compares
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, 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.
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO has a large metro labor market with broad occupational coverage.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Oral And Maxillofacial Surgeons. 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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, 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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Oral And Maxillofacial Surgeons | $360.8K | N/A |
| Neurologists | $356.3K | 60 |
| Radiologists | $344.3K | 340 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, And Flight Engineers | $307.5K | 5,600 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $300K | 290 |
| Physicians, All Other | $298.6K | 1,170 |
| Dermatologists | $273.3K | N/A |
| Psychiatrists | $263K | 150 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $255.6K | 1,080 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $216.7K | 200 |
Largest occupations in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 42,810 | $37.1K |
| Retail Salespersons | 40,340 | $38.5K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 32,610 | $44.5K |
| Registered Nurses | 30,380 | $101.1K |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 28,670 | $95K |
| Software Developers | 27,010 | $137.6K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 26,130 | $38.9K |
| Sales Representatives Of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, And Travel | 24,480 | $80.7K |
| Cashiers | 23,860 | $37.6K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 23,560 | $48.6K |
What Denver-Aurora-Centennial, 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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Mining And Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers | 8.31 | $93.1K |
| Information And Record Clerks, All Other | 5.63 | $56.2K |
| Computer Network Architects | 5.51 | $139.2K |
| Cartographers And Photogrammetrists | 5.32 | $86.1K |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, And Flight Engineers | 5.23 | $307.5K |
| Flight Attendants | 5.08 | $59.5K |
| Petroleum Engineers | 4.83 | $174.6K |
| Sales And Related Workers, All Other | 4.43 | $63.1K |
| Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other | 4.43 | $39.6K |
| Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists And Geographers | 4.21 | $120.5K |
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 |
| Boulder, CO | $82.3K | Surgeons, All Other |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
Common salary questions for Denver-Aurora-Centennial, 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.