Colorado Hourly Pay Raise Calculator
Compare your current and proposed hourly wages to calculate your estimated take-home raise in Colorado. Under House Bill 24-1434 and TABOR statutory rate mechanics, Colorado levies a uniform flat personal income tax rate of 4.40% combined with federal income tax and FICA.
Hourly Pay Raise Estimate
2026 Tax YearCompare wages and estimate take-home pay • Runs in your browser
Flat 4.40% state income tax rate. Statewide minimum wage is $15.20/hr (effective Jan 1, 2026, COMPS Order #42; Denver $19.29/hr).
Current base rate (min wage: $15.20)
New proposed rate or offer
Standard full-time is 40 hrs/wk
Simulate working 5 overtime hours per week under both wage levels.
Estimated additional take-home pay received every 2 weeks after modeled federal, FICA, and state taxes.
Tax Year 2026 Modeled Estimates: Based on federal statutory tax brackets, standard deductions ($16,100 Single / $32,200 Married), FICA (7.65%), and Colorado tax rules.
Does not include local/city taxes, employer pre-tax benefits (health insurance, 401(k)), or personal tax credits. Actual paychecks will vary based on your employer's payroll withholding tables and IRS Form W-4 elections.
Where Does Your Raise Actually Go?
Estimated breakdown of how each additional dollar of your raise is split between take-home pay and tax withholdings.
What This Raise Covers in Real Life
Tangible monthly purchasing power this extra cash brings to your household.
Covers ~10.2 fill-ups of gasoline every single month ($45/tank avg).
Full monthly grocery budget offset + surplus (covers ~1.0 months based on ~$475/mo).
Straight into an emergency cushion, debt payoff, or family vacation fund.
Colorado Pay Raise Facts (2026)
Colorado assesses a statutory flat personal income tax rate of 4.40% across all taxable wage earnings. Every additional dollar of taxable earnings is taxed at this uniform rate without tiered bracket jumps. The state baseline minimum wage is currently $15.20/hour. Combined with federal income tax and statutory 7.65% FICA withholdings, workers keep the remaining balance of each hourly pay bump after these predictable deductions.
Worked Example: $2/hr Raise in Colorado ($20/hr → $22/hr, 40 hrs/wk)
2,080 Hours/Year Baseline| Pay Frequency / Calculation | Gross Increase | Estimated After-Tax |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | +$80.00 | +$60.76 |
| Biweekly | +$160.00 | +$121.52 |
| Monthly | +$346.67 | +$263.29 |
| Annual Gross | +$4,160.00 | — |
| Estimated After-Tax Annual Increase | — | +$3,159.52 |
*After-tax estimates assume a Single filer taking the standard deduction with no dependents. Use the calculator above to model your specific filing status and withholdings.
Does Colorado tax a pay raise?
Yes. Colorado taxes wage earnings at a flat statutory rate of 4.40%. Every additional dollar earned from an hourly raise is subject to this fixed state withholding rate, in addition to federal income tax and statutory 7.65% FICA withholdings.
How much is a $2 an hour raise in Colorado per year?
A $2 an hour raise equals $4,160 in gross extra income per year for a full-time employee working 40 hours per week (52 weeks × 40 hours × $2.00/hr = $4,160). After subtracting federal income tax, statutory 7.65% FICA, and Colorado state income tax, a single filer is estimated to take home approximately $3,160 per year (about $122 extra per biweekly paycheck). Use the calculator above to model your specific filing status, hours, and custom wage difference.
Colorado Wage Raise Benchmark Table (40 hrs/week)
How standard raises starting from $18.00/hr convert into estimated take-home pay in Colorado.
| Hourly Raise | New Wage | Bi-Weekly Take-Home | Monthly Cash | Annual Net Bump | % Kept |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| +$1.00/hr | $19.00/hr | +$60.76 | +$131.65 | +$1,580 | 76.0% |
| +$2.00/hr | $20.00/hr | +$121.52 | +$263.29 | +$3,160 | 75.9% |
| +$3.50/hr | $21.50/hr | +$212.66 | +$460.76 | +$5,529 | 75.9% |
| +$5.00/hr | $23.00/hr | +$303.80 | +$658.23 | +$7,899 | 75.9% |
Colorado Tax Rules & Calculation Assumptions
Transparent breakdown of the tax parameters applied to your Colorado pay raise estimate.
What This Calculator Models
- Colorado state personal income tax modeled at the statutory flat rate of 4.40% (Colorado Department of Revenue / Tax Year 2026).
- Colorado statutory minimum wage modeled at $15.20/hour baseline (Colorado Department of Labor and Employment / COMPS Order #42 for Tax Year 2026). Note: City of Denver has a higher local minimum wage ($18.81/hr).
- Federal income tax modeled using standard deductions ($16,100 Single / $32,200 Married Filing Jointly) and statutory federal brackets (Tax Year 2026).
- Statutory FICA taxes modeled at 6.2% Social Security (up to $184,500 cap) and 1.45% Medicare (Tax Year 2026).
Calculation Scope & Exclusions
This tool is an hourly pay raise calculator, designed specifically to estimate the marginal difference in take-home pay resulting from a wage change. It is not a full paycheck or payroll tax stub simulator.
- •Does not model Colorado FAMLI (Family and Medical Leave Insurance) employee payroll deductions (0.45% of gross wages).
- •Does not model voluntary employee pre-tax benefits (healthcare, 401(k), HSA/FSA).
Colorado Hourly Paycheck Breakdown (2026)
Estimated gross and after-tax take-home earnings across standard hourly wage tiers (40 hrs/week, Single filer).
Colorado levies a uniform flat state income tax rate of 4.40% on taxable wage earnings, with a baseline minimum wage of $15.20/hour. Take-home pay is determined by applying this 4.40% state rate in combination with federal income tax brackets and mandatory 7.65% FICA payroll deductions. See below for gross earnings and estimated 2026 take-home amounts across benchmark hourly rates from $15 to $40/hour based on a 40-hour workweek for single filers.
| Hourly Wage | Weekly Gross | Biweekly Gross | Monthly Gross (avg) | Annual Gross | Est. Biweekly Take-Home | Est. Annual Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $15.00/hr | $600.00 | $1,200.00 | $2,600.00 | $31,200.00 | $995.25 | $25,876.40 |
| $20.00/hr | $800.00 | $1,600.00 | $3,466.67 | $41,600.00 | $1,299.05 | $33,775.20 |
| $25.00/hr | $1,000.00 | $2,000.00 | $4,333.33 | $52,000.00 | $1,602.85 | $41,674.00 |
| $30.00/hr | $1,200.00 | $2,400.00 | $5,200.00 | $62,400.00 | $1,906.65 | $49,572.80 |
| $40.00/hr | $1,600.00 | $3,200.00 | $6,933.33 | $83,200.00 | $2,450.02 | $63,700.40 |
Looking to compare a raise or wage increase as a percentage? Use our Wage Increase Calculator.
Assumptions: 40 hrs/wk • Single filer • Tax Year 2026Frequently Asked Questions About Hourly Pay Raises
Clear answers on calculating wage differences, pay period conversions, overtime compounding, and tax withholding.
Hourly Wage Tax Rates in All 50 US States
Click your state to see pre-loaded paycheck raise calculations, state tax rules, and local minimum wages.