Colorado’s income tax is a single flat rate, and the withholding worksheet keeps it simple: annual pay, less a withholding allowance that depends on your federal filing status, times the rate, spread over your paychecks. Many workers never fill in a state form at all, because without one Colorado works from the filing status on the federal W-4. Form DR 0004 exists for anyone who wants to set their own allowance or add an extra amount per paycheck, and an allowance entered on it, even zero, overrides the default.
The second state line on a Colorado stub is FAMLI, the paid family and medical leave insurance program. The premium is shared between employer and employee, and your employer may take up to the employee share from your pay or choose to cover more of it. Pay above the Social Security wage base is not subject to FAMLI, and some local government employers have opted out of the program, so a public-sector worker may not see the line.
Work in Denver and a small fixed charge appears as well. The Denver occupational privilege tax is a monthly head tax on employees who earn at least a set amount in a month for work done in the city. It follows where you work, not where you live, and it does not grow with your salary. Aurora and Greenwood Village have similar taxes that are not yet in our tables; choose “Other / not listed” for those.
Overtime rules reach past the federal standard. Colorado’s COMPS Order requires overtime pay for hours over twelve in a workday, in addition to the weekly threshold, which matters most for people who work long single shifts. The overtime calculator applies the daily rule.
Colorado has no reciprocal agreements. Out-of-state commuters have Colorado tax withheld on work done here, and Colorado residents working elsewhere get credit for the other state’s tax against their Colorado withholding.
How Colorado taxes your paycheck
State income tax withholding
On the tax return, Colorado taxes income at a single rate of 4.4%. Employers withhold at the same rate, after the allowances or exemptions claimed on the state withholding form. The withholding figures here follow Colorado's own instructions for employers.
For a single filer paid every two weeks, Colorado withholds 3.6% of a $30,000 salary and 4.2% of $150,000:
| Salary | Colorado tax withheld | Share of pay |
|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $1,078 | 3.6% |
| $50,000 | $1,958 | 3.9% |
| $75,000 | $3,058 | 4.1% |
| $100,000 | $4,158 | 4.2% |
| $150,000 | $6,358 | 4.2% |
Colorado goes further than the federal 40-hour week: it requires overtime after 12 hours in a day. The calculator's Hourly tab and the overtime calculator apply these rules.
Payroll levies
Besides income tax, one payroll levy comes out of each Colorado paycheck: $263 a year at the median wage.
- CO FAMLI (employee): 0.44% of wages up to $184,500 a year. On the median wage that is $263.12 a year.
City and county taxes
Our 2026 tables include one local tax in Colorado. Pick yours in the calculator under the city or county you work in, and the one you live in. If yours is not listed, choose "Other / not listed" and enter the rate from your pay stub.
The guide to local income taxes covers who owes them and how credits between cities work.
Living in one state and working in another
Colorado has no reciprocal agreements, so it withholds from everyone who works there, wherever they live. If you live elsewhere, your home state may withhold too, usually less a credit for the Colorado tax.
Enter both states in the calculator to see the credit at work; the guide to reciprocity agreements lists every pair of states that has one.
Colorado take-home pay by salary
Net pay per paycheck at each salary, single with no 401(k), benefits or extra withholding, living and working in Colorado. It runs from $964.42 every two weeks on $30,000 to $4,106.66 on $150,000. For a 401(k), health premiums or a different filing status, use the calculator above.
| Salary | Weekly | Every two weeks | Twice a month | Monthly | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $482.20 | $964.42 | $1,044.78 | $2,089.59 | $25,075 |
| $40,000 | $627.44 | $1,254.85 | $1,359.42 | $2,718.83 | $32,626 |
| $50,000 | $772.64 | $1,545.28 | $1,674.03 | $3,348.09 | $40,177 |
| $60,000 | $917.84 | $1,835.69 | $1,988.66 | $3,977.34 | $47,728 |
| $75,000 | $1,119.32 | $2,238.63 | $2,425.19 | $4,850.37 | $58,204 |
| $90,000 | $1,308.28 | $2,616.58 | $2,834.62 | $5,669.25 | $68,031 |
| $100,000 | $1,434.28 | $2,868.54 | $3,107.59 | $6,215.16 | $74,582 |
| $125,000 | $1,747.98 | $3,495.98 | $3,787.31 | $7,574.63 | $90,896 |
| $150,000 | $2,053.33 | $4,106.66 | $4,448.87 | $8,897.75 | $106,773 |
Hourly pay after tax in Colorado
At 40 hours a week, $25.00 an hour comes to $801.67 in a weekly paycheck and $41,687 over the year, which is $20.04 for each hour worked. Overtime, tips and a different schedule change these figures: switch the calculator to its Hourly tab to enter them.
| Hourly wage | Weekly paycheck | Year | Per hour after tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15.00 | $499.63 | $25,981 | $12.49 |
| $20.00 | $650.65 | $33,834 | $16.27 |
| $25.00 | $801.67 | $41,687 | $20.04 |
| $30.00 | $952.69 | $49,540 | $23.82 |
| $40.00 | $1,222.62 | $63,577 | $30.57 |
| $50.00 | $1,484.66 | $77,203 | $37.12 |
Worked example: the median wage in Colorado
The median annual wage in Colorado is $59,800: half of all jobs pay more and half pay less, in the Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey for May 2025 (all occupations; survey date May 31, 2025). Paid every two weeks as a single filer, with no 401(k) or benefits, that salary works out like this.
| Line | Each paycheck | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $2,300.00 | $59,800.00 |
| Federal income tax | $192.15 | $4,995.90 |
| Social Security | $142.60 | $3,707.60 |
| Medicare | $33.35 | $867.10 |
| Colorado income tax | $91.89 | $2,389.14 |
| CO FAMLI (employee) | $10.12 | $263.12 |
| Take-home pay | $1,829.89 | $47,577.14 |
You keep 79.6% of gross pay. Of the $12,223 withheld, federal income tax is the largest part at $4,996, followed by Social Security at $3,708.
Colorado paycheck questions
How much is $59,800 a year after taxes in Colorado?
Paid every two weeks as a single filer with no pre-tax deductions, $59,800 a year in Colorado leaves $47,577 after tax, or $1,829.89 a paycheck. Federal income tax takes $4,996 and Social Security and Medicare $4,575; Colorado income tax takes $2,389; state payroll levies take $263. $59,800 is the median annual wage for all jobs in Colorado in the Bureau of Labor Statistics survey for May 2025.
Is Colorado income tax a flat rate?
Yes. On the tax return, Colorado taxes income at a single rate of 4.4%. Employers withhold at the same rate, after the allowances or exemptions claimed on the state withholding form. At the median wage, Colorado withholds 4.0% of gross pay.
What does Colorado deduct from a paycheck besides income tax?
CO FAMLI (employee): 0.44% of wages up to $184,500 a year. At the median wage these come to $263 for the year.
Do cities or counties in Colorado tax wages?
Yes. Our 2026 tables include Denver. Anywhere else, choose "Other / not listed" and enter the rate from your pay stub. Pages with worked figures: Denver.
I live in another state and work in Colorado. Which state withholds?
Colorado has no reciprocal agreements, so it withholds from everyone who works there. Your home state may withhold too, usually less a credit for the Colorado tax.
What is $75,000 a year biweekly in Colorado?
$2,238.63 a paycheck, single, with no 401(k) or other deductions. Paid twice a month it is $2,425.19, and monthly $4,850.37. Over the year that is $58,204.
Sources
- IRS Publication 15-T, Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods
- Social Security Administration, contribution and benefit base
- Colorado employer withholding instructions
- Colorado income tax rates on the return
- CO FAMLI (employee)
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Rules checked . How we calculate.