Average Salaries in Fort Collins-Loveland, CO
Explore salaries across 442 occupations in Fort Collins-Loveland, CO. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $69.5K, +12.9% 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: 442 occupations and 166,570 total jobs in Fort Collins-Loveland, CO.
How the metro compares
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO pays modestly above the national average. Most occupations here earn more than their national equivalents, but the gap is smaller than in top-tier markets.
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Sales 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 Fort Collins-Loveland, 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 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Sales Managers | $177.2K | 360 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $172.5K | 290 |
| Financial Managers | $172.4K | 440 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $170.5K | 530 |
| Marketing Managers | $166.9K | 250 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $165.0K | 580 |
| Purchasing Managers | $163.0K | 80 |
| Managers, All Other | $157.8K | 570 |
| Optometrists | $153.9K | 80 |
| Human Resources Managers | $152.5K | 160 |
Most jobs
Largest occupations in Fort Collins-Loveland, CO
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 5,400 | $35.5K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 5,210 | $34.4K |
| Registered Nurses | 4,470 | $96.6K |
| Cashiers | 3,740 | $34.8K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 3,070 | $40.8K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 2,570 | $34.6K |
| General And Operations Managers | 2,470 | $114.0K |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 2,460 | $79.6K |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,330 | $51.2K |
| Janitors And Cleaners, Except Maids And Housekeeping Cleaners | 2,280 | $37.2K |
What Fort Collins-Loveland, 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 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Location quotient
Most concentrated occupations in Fort Collins-Loveland, CO
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Conservation Scientists | 22.15 | $80.2K |
| Atmospheric And Space Scientists | 21.90 | $105.0K |
| Forest Fire Inspectors And Prevention Specialists | 11.40 | $45.1K |
| Soil And Plant Scientists | 10.94 | $63.7K |
| Cartographers And Photogrammetrists | 9.57 | N/A |
| Information And Record Clerks, All Other | 7.47 | $50.2K |
| Zoologists And Wildlife Biologists | 6.97 | $79.7K |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 6.72 | $165.0K |
| Barbers | 5.71 | $39.5K |
| Environmental Science And Protection Technicians, Including Health | 5.34 | $53.1K |
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 Fort Collins-Loveland, 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.