Salaries & Cost of Living in Boulder, Colorado
One of America's foremost innovation and venture capitals per capita, blending Google/Apple engineering hubs with mountain trailheads. Discover salary benchmarks, wage percentiles, state income tax deductions, and housing costs across 20+ high-demand professions in Boulder.
Boulder Cost of Living by Expense Category
Normalized cost index (100 = U.S. National Average).
Key City Advantages & Living Factors
Climate: Semi-Arid (Sunny / Mountainous)Role Salaries in Boulder
Explore 10th to 90th percentile salary benchmarks and estimated monthly take-home pay in Boulder.
| Job Title | Category | Median Base Pay | Est. Net Take-Home | View Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Product Manager | Product | $212,750/yr | ~$13,581/mo | View |
| Senior Software Engineer | Engineering | $201,250/yr | ~$12,847/mo | View |
| Product Manager | Product | $163,300/yr | ~$10,424/mo | View |
| DevOps & Cloud Engineer | Engineering | $161,000/yr | ~$10,277/mo | View |
| Data Scientist | Data | $158,700/yr | ~$10,130/mo | View |
| Backend Engineer | Engineering | $155,250/yr | ~$9,910/mo | View |
| Software Engineer | Engineering | $151,800/yr | ~$9,690/mo | View |
| Frontend Engineer | Engineering | $142,600/yr | ~$9,103/mo | View |
| Product Designer | Design | $140,300/yr | ~$8,956/mo | View |
| Growth Marketer | Marketing | $132,250/yr | ~$8,442/mo | View |
| UX / UI Designer | Design | $128,800/yr | ~$8,222/mo | View |
| Marketing Manager | Marketing | $124,200/yr | ~$7,928/mo | View |
| Account Executive (SaaS) | Sales | $120,750/yr | ~$7,708/mo | View |
| QA & Test Automation Engineer | Engineering | $117,300/yr | ~$7,488/mo | View |
| Financial Analyst | Finance | $110,400/yr | ~$7,047/mo | View |
| Technical Recruiter | Human Resources | $108,100/yr | ~$6,900/mo | View |
| Data Analyst | Data | $105,800/yr | ~$6,754/mo | View |
| Customer Success Manager | Customer Support | $102,350/yr | ~$6,533/mo | View |
| SEO Specialist | Marketing | $97,750/yr | ~$6,240/mo | View |
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Frequently Asked Questions: Living & Working in Boulder
What is considered a good salary in Boulder?
In Boulder, an annual salary between $90,000 and $140,000 is generally considered very comfortable for a single professional, easily covering median 1-bedroom rental costs ($2,100/mo) while allowing significant savings.
How do salaries in Boulder compare to the U.S. national average?
On average, compensation in Boulder is 15% above the U.S. national baseline across technology, product, and engineering roles.
What are state income taxes in Boulder (CO)?
The estimated statutory state and local income tax rate in Boulder is approximately 4.4%.
What is the average rent in Boulder?
The median rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Boulder, Colorado is currently around $2,100 per month.
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