Colorado Springs, CO Paycheck Calculator 2026

How paychecks work in Colorado

Colorado Springs, Colorado residents follow the same statewide payroll rules as everyone else in Colorado, with the additional local considerations noted below. Every paycheck issued in Colorado has three federal withholdings — federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare — followed by Colorado's own withholding rules and any local wage tax that applies where you work. Colorado has a flat 4.40% state income tax. Colorado's economy blends aerospace, cannabis, outdoor recreation, energy, and a rapidly expanding Front Range tech corridor.

This page explains, step by step, how gross wages become take-home pay in Colorado: what the federal government takes, what the state of Colorado takes, which cities and localities add their own withholding, and how minimum wage, overtime, and pay-frequency rules interact with common benefits like 401(k) contributions and pre-tax health premiums.

Federal taxes on Colorado paychecks

Regardless of where you live, the IRS applies the same federal income tax brackets, standard deduction, and FICA contributions. For 2026, the federal tax brackets range from 10% on the first ~$12,400 of taxable income (single) up to 37% on income above roughly $626,000. Most workers land in the 12%, 22%, or 24% brackets after subtracting the $16,100 single (or $32,200 married-jointly) standard deduction.

On top of federal income tax, every Colorado employee pays FICA: 6.2% Social Security up to a $184,500 wage base, plus 1.45% Medicare on all wages, with an additional 0.9% Medicare surtax on wages over $200,000 (single). Employers match Social Security and Medicare dollar-for-dollar; you only see your half on the stub.

Colorado state income tax

Colorado taxes wage income at a flat 4.40%. The state standard deduction is $15,000 for single filers and $30,000 for married filing jointly.

Because Colorado uses a flat rate, every dollar of taxable wage income is taxed at the same rate. This makes Colorado state withholding simpler to estimate than in states with graduated brackets.

Local wage taxes in Colorado

Denver, Aurora, Glendale, Greenwood Village, and Sheridan impose flat monthly occupational privilege taxes on wages.

FICA: Social Security and Medicare

Social Security is the biggest single deduction most middle-income Colorado workers see besides federal income tax. It funds retirement, disability, and survivor benefits, and applies at 6.2% until you have earned $184,500 for the year (2026). If you earn more than that, Social Security stops for the remainder of the year — a highly visible bump in take-home pay for high earners late in the calendar year.

Medicare has no cap. All wages are hit at 1.45%, and an extra 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax applies to any wages above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married filing jointly). Employers begin withholding the additional 0.9% the pay period you cross $200,000, whether or not you'll actually owe it after year-end.

Overtime rules for Colorado employees

1.5x pay for hours over 40/week, 12/day, or 12 consecutive hours, whichever gives the higher amount.

Overtime pay itself is taxed exactly the same way as regular wages — there is no special overtime tax rate. But because a paycheck with lots of overtime looks temporarily much larger, employer withholding formulas may withhold a higher percentage than your true annual rate. That withholding is reconciled at tax time via your federal 1040 and Colorado state return, so if you consistently work overtime you may want to review your W-4 to avoid over-withholding.

Minimum wage in Colorado

The current minimum wage in Colorado is $14.81 per hour. Colorado's minimum wage is indexed to inflation; Denver has a higher local minimum. At 40 hours per week and 52 weeks per year, that equates to roughly $30,805 in gross annual wages before overtime.

Pay frequency rules

At least monthly for most private-sector workers. Most private-sector employees in Colorado are paid either weekly or bi-weekly, with salaried professionals often on a semi-monthly schedule. Choosing the right pay-frequency assumption is important when using the calculator above, because the same annual salary produces different per-paycheck amounts depending on whether it's split over 26 (bi-weekly) or 24 (semi-monthly) periods.

Example take-home pay in Colorado

The table below shows estimated federal, FICA, and Colorado state tax for a single filer at several common salary levels, using 2026 rules and the standard deduction. Bi-weekly amounts assume 26 paychecks per year.

Common Colorado payroll deductions to watch

• 401(k) contributions — pre-tax dollars reduce federal (and, in Colorado, state) income tax. The 2026 employee limit is $24,500 ($32,000 if age 50+).
• Pre-tax health premiums — Section 125 cafeteria plan contributions reduce federal, state, and FICA-taxable wages.
• HSA contributions — for high-deductible health plans, HSA money is pre-tax at both federal and state levels in Colorado.
• Garnishments, child support, and Roth 401(k) — these post-tax deductions do not reduce taxable wages but still cut take-home pay.
• Colorado's flat income tax has fallen from 4.63% in 2019 to 4.4% today via TABOR-triggered rate cuts.
• Denver's Occupational Privilege Tax is a flat $5.75/month for employees earning $500+/month.

Key industries and pay levels in Colorado

Colorado's top industries include Aerospace, Technology, Energy, Tourism, and Biotech. Major employers like Lockheed Martin Space, Ball Aerospace, UCHealth, and Charles Schwab anchor a large share of state payrolls, and pay levels tend to track industry mix — states heavy on technology, finance, and aerospace typically show higher median household income than states dominated by agriculture, tourism, or retail.