Firefighter Salary in Colorado: Median $54,250 in 2026
Colorado (CO) · State tax: 4.4% top marginal · RPP 101.9 · Rank #27 of 51 for take-home
A Firefighter in Colorado earns a median of $54,250 per year, based on the most recent 2023 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release[1]adjusted for Colorado's Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity of 101.9 (US = 100)[2]. The 10th percentile starts at about $33,890, while the 90th percentile reaches $105,100. After federal income tax, FICA, and Colorado state income tax, a single-filer takes home roughly $43,991/year — about $3,666/month or $1,692 every other week.
Because Colorado is a mid-cost state (RPP 101.9), the real purchasing power of that take-home is roughly $43,189 in national-average terms. Among all 51 jurisdictions in the US, Colorado ranks #27 for take-home pay on a $54,250 gross — a Firefighter keeps 81.1% of every dollar earned after federal, state, and payroll taxes. Nationally, BLS projects 4% growth in this occupation through 2034[3], which typically translates into comparable demand at the Colorado state level.
Firefighter Salary Snapshot — Colorado (2026)
Every row cites a primary public dataset. Percentiles are BLS OEWS state-level where published; otherwise scaled from the national distribution by Colorado's RPP.
| Metric | Colorado | National | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median wage (P50) | $54,250 | $60,670 | [1] |
| 10th percentile (state) / 25th percentile (national) | $33,890 | $42,290 (P25) | [1] |
| 90th percentile | $105,100 | $112,440 | [1] |
| State employment (SOC group) | 60,600 | 361,290 | [1] |
| Cost-of-living index (BEA RPP) | 101.9 | 100.0 | [2] |
| Annual take-home (single filer) | $43,991 | $50,876* | [4][6] |
| Take-home rank (51 jurisdictions) | #27 | — | [4] |
| COL-adjusted take-home (real $) | $43,189 | — | [2] |
*National reference column uses Texas as a no-income-tax baseline to isolate the state-tax effect.
How Firefighter Salaries Work in Colorado
A Firefighter paycheck in Colorado is stacked the same way as every US paycheck: gross wage, then federal income tax withholding based on IRS Publication 17 bracket tables[4], then FICA — Social Security 6.2% (up to the 2025 wage base of $176,100) and Medicare 1.45% (plus 0.9% above $200,000)[5], then whatever the state layers on top. Colorado applies a flat income tax with a top marginal rate of 4.4%; on a $54,250 median Firefighter salary the effective rate comes out to 3.2%, or $1,727 per year.[6]
Beyond income tax, two Colorado floors matter. State minimum wage sets the price of entry-level labor and pulls up the bottom of the wage distribution[7]. Cost of living — measured by the BEA Regional Price Parity of 101.9 — sets the price of housing, groceries, utilities, and services that determine how far the paycheck goes[2]. Together these two numbers explain most of the variance between nominal and real Firefighter compensation across states.
Local demand also matters. State-level OEWS puts about 60,600 people in this SOC group across Colorado, which lets employers compete on wages rather than benefits alone.The near-average RPP keeps nominal wages close to the US median for comparable roles. Two workers with identical Firefighter titles can therefore see very different take-home outcomes depending purely on Colorado's tax and cost profile.
The complete identity: take_home = gross − federal_tax − state_tax − FICA − pre_tax_deductions. Every number in the table above, and every paycheck calculator on CalcFi, runs that identity client-side. No inputs leave your browser.
Firefighter Salary by City in Colorado
Estimated median Firefightersalary by metro, using each city's composite cost-of-living index against the Colorado statewide OEWS median. Rent is ACS + Zillow ZORI; unemployment is BLS LAUS.
| City | Est. median salary | COL index | Median rent | Est. net (monthly) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver, CO | $65,643 | 121 | $1,395/mo | $4,375 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $55,878 | 103 | $995/mo | $3,769 |
| Fort Collins, CO | $60,218 | 111 | $1,500/mo | $4,044 |
| Boulder, CO | $71,610 | 132 | $2,100/mo | $4,703 |
| Aurora, CO | $58,048 | 107 | $1,650/mo | $3,906 |
Sources: Zillow ZORI / Census ACS[9], BLS OEWS[1], BEA RPP[2]. City-level salary estimates scale the statewide OEWS median by each metro's composite COL index; actual employer wages can deviate by ±10–20% depending on industry mix.
Colorado vs Neighbor States — Firefighter Take-Home
Same $54,250 gross salary, different state tax regimes. The table shows what a single-filer Firefighterwould net in each bordering state. Useful if you're comparing job offers across state lines or considering a relocation.
| State | State tax (eff.) | Annual take-home | vs CO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado ★ | 3.2% | $43,991 | — |
| Arizona | 1.8% | $44,737 | +$746 |
| Kansas | 4.1% | $43,491 | -$500 |
| Nebraska | 3.5% | $43,822 | -$169 |
| New Mexico | 2.3% | $44,470 | +$479 |
★ = no state individual income tax. Numbers assume identical $$54,250 gross, single filer, standard deduction. Real-world comparisons should also factor in cost-of-living differences (RPP) and any local income taxes[6][2].
Cost of Living vs Salary — Purchasing Power in Colorado
Nominal dollars only tell part of the story. The BEA Regional Price Parity for Colorado is 101.9 (US = 100)[2]. That means an identical basket of goods and services costs 1.9% more in Colorado than in an average-cost US location. A Firefighter's $43,991 nominal take-home therefore equals about $43,189 of national-average purchasing power.
Concretely, that shows up in three budget buckets:
- Housing. The single biggest driver. At a near-national RPP, expect housing to run 25–32% of take-home for a median Firefighter salary.
- Groceries + services.BEA publishes sub-indexes for goods, rents, and other services. Goods tend to be closer to national averages (they're traded); services and rents are where the big state-level spreads show up.
- State + local tax. Colorado's state income tax removes 3.2% of gross before it ever hits the RPP basket — so comparing pure RPP between states with very different tax structures understates the true cost difference.
The classic rule of thumb — "aim for take-home ≥ 3x your monthly housing cost" — holds in Colorado only above the 60th-percentile wage band for this occupation. Below that threshold, the RPP hit compounds with fixed housing costs and the real savings rate collapses. Above it, Colorado's higher absolute wages makes this a mixed wealth-building state for Firefighters.
Where Firefighters Work in Colorado
BLS OEWS attributes roughly 60,600 Colorado workers to the Government & Military major group containing Firefighter.Major hiring industries for Firefighters tend to cluster into three groups: (1) large private employers in government & military (primary source of wage pressure at the top of the distribution); (2) state and local government — consistently one of the top five government & military employers in most US states; and (3) federal government and contractors — especially relevant in states with large DoD or federal civilian footprints.
Typical entry requirement for this role is a postsecondary non-degree award. Common tax-deductible professional expenses that Firefighters in Colorado can consider — where itemizing makes sense — include: Union dues, Uniforms and protective gear (unreimbursed), Emergency medical certifications, Continuing fire education. Confirm deductibility with a CPA; 2017 TCJA changes limited unreimbursed employee expenses, but self-employed or contractor Firefighters still get full Schedule C treatment.
Career Progression & Related Professions in Colorado
Early-career Firefighters in Colorado typically start near the 10th percentile ($33,890), reach the median ($54,250) after 4–8 years, and enter the 90th percentile ($105,100) with senior or specialized roles. Related government & military occupations in Colorado:
Useful calculators for Firefighters in Colorado
Other professions in Colorado
Local context: Colorado
Housing economics in Colorado. The median home value runs 46.6% above the U.S. baseline for Colorado is $525,000 per Zillow's home-value index. Effective property tax sits at 0.51% of assessed value, below the 0.99% national average tracked by the Tax Foundation. Lenders in Colorado have quoted 6.30% on the 30-year fixed product over the trailing four-week window per Freddie Mac PMMS — the prevailing posted rate before any borrower-specific lock-ins.
Income and tax climate. Median household income in Colorado reaches $106,500 per the ACS five-year vintage, pulling above the $78,538 U.S. median. Colorado's top marginal state income tax bracket lands at 4.63% — compared to the volume-weighted national average around 4-5%. BEA's Regional Price Parity scores Colorado at 110.0 (national = 100), meaning a dollar in Colorado buys 91¢ of national purchasing power.
How Colorado affects take-home pay. Federal FICA, Medicare, and income tax are identical for every wage earner regardless of state. Colorado's contribution is the state income tax overlay plus any state-level disability or paid-family-leave deductions. Where applicable, the calculator factors in the local minimum wage when an hourly-to-salary conversion is involved, and uses BLS OEWS median earnings for Colorado as the contextual baseline shown alongside your inputs.
Local context as of 2026-06-13. Live data sources are listed in the Sources section below; each metric carries its own retrieval date.
Colorado versus the U.S. baseline
How does Colorado stack up against the national average on the metrics that drive the calculators on this page? The table below pairs the Colorado-specific reading against the U.S. baseline so you can see at a glance whether your local scenario runs above or below typical. Three to five percentage points of difference on most of these inputs translates into meaningful changes in calculator output — for example, a 50-basis-point difference in mortgage rate moves the monthly payment on a $400,000 30-year loan by roughly $130.
| Metric | Colorado | U.S. baseline | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Firefighter salary[bls-oews] | $54,250 | $60,670 | -10.6% |
| Annual take-home (single filer)[irs] | $43,991 | $50,876 | -13.5% |
| Top marginal state income tax[state-dor] | 4.40% | ~4.08% (volume-weighted) | 0.3 pp |
| Cost-of-living index (BEA RPP)[bea-rpp] | 101.9 | 100.0 | 1.9 pts |
| Effective combined tax rate[irs] | 18.9% | ~24-28% (typical) | — |
How to use the Firefighter salary calculator for Colorado
Walk through estimating Firefighter pay in Colorado using state-specific BLS OEWS percentiles, IRS / state tax math, and BEA cost-of-living adjustments.
- Pre-fill with local dataEach calculator on this page loads with state- or city-specific defaults pulled live from primary sources (FRED, BLS, Zillow, Freddie Mac PMMS, IRS, BEA). The blue values shown next to each input are the local averages so you can see how your scenario compares to the typical case before changing anything.
- Override the inputs you controlChange any field to model your actual situation. The math reruns in your browser the moment you change a value — no signup, no API call, no data transmission. Hover over the small (i) icon next to each label to see the formula that field feeds and where the default came from.
- Read the derived valuesThe result panel shows the primary calculation (monthly payment, take-home pay, savings projection, etc.) plus the intermediate values that drive it. Each line item is labeled with the formula component it represents so you can verify the arithmetic against any agency publication, textbook, or competing calculator.
- Adjust assumptions and re-runMost calculators have a section for assumption inputs that are easy to overlook — annual raises, expected return, inflation, vacancy rate, depreciation schedule, marginal vs. effective tax treatment. The defaults are conservative; aggressive scenarios usually require explicit overrides.
- Save to "My Numbers"When the inputs match your reality, click Save to "My Numbers". The values persist to your device's local storage (IndexedDB) and reload automatically on your next visit. Nothing is transmitted to any CalcFi server — the saved-state feature is deliberately client-side only for privacy.
- Compare scenarios side by sideMost calculators offer a comparison view that shows two or more scenarios side by side. Use this to model decision points: 15-year vs 30-year mortgage, Roth vs Traditional IRA, salary vs hourly, lease vs buy. The comparison view also produces a shareable summary you can download as PNG or PDF.
Frequently Asked Questions — Firefighter in Colorado
What is the median salary for a Firefighter in Colorado?
Based on BLS OEWS 2023 state-level data and BEA RPP cost-of-living adjustments, the median Firefighter in Colorado earns approximately $54,250/year. The 10th percentile is around $33,890 and the 90th percentile reaches $105,100. State OEWS lists about 60,600 people employed in this occupational group statewide.
How much does a Firefighter take home after taxes in Colorado?
On a $54,250 gross salary, a single-filer Firefighter in Colorado takes home approximately $43,991/year ($3,666/month, $1,692 bi-weekly) after federal income tax (8.1%), Colorado state income tax (3.2%), and FICA. Combined effective rate: 18.9%. Numbers assume the standard deduction; itemizing or pre-tax 401(k) contributions will raise your net.
How does Colorado compare to other states for Firefighter take-home pay?
Colorado ranks #27 out of 51 for Firefighter take-home pay at the $54,250 state median salary. The best state for this gross is Alaska ($45,718/yr take-home) and the worst is Oregon ($41,525/yr). A Firefighter in Colorado keeps 81.1% of every gross dollar earned.
What is the cost-of-living-adjusted salary for a Firefighter in Colorado?
Colorado's BEA regional price parity is 101.9 (US = 100), meaning the state's $43,991 take-home is equivalent to about $43,189 of national-average purchasing power. Because living costs are 1.9% above average, the nominal salary buys less than it would in a median-cost state.
How do Firefighter salaries vary by city in Colorado?
Within Colorado, Firefighter salaries scale with metro-level cost of living. For example, Denver (121 COL index, estimated median $65,643), Colorado Springs (103 COL index, estimated median $55,878), Fort Collins (111 COL index, estimated median $60,218). Higher-COL metros pay more in nominal terms, but after rent and groceries the net purchasing power often evens out.
What state taxes affect a Firefighter paycheck in Colorado?
Colorado's state income tax has an effective rate of 3.2% on a $54,250 salary ($1,727/yr). The structure is flat with a top marginal rate of 4.4%. Property tax averages 0.5% and state sales tax is 2.9%. Flat 4.4% rate. Uses federal standard deduction as starting point. SS benefits partially exempt for seniors.
What is the career outlook for Firefighters in Colorado?
Nationally, BLS Employment Projections expect 4% growth in the Firefighter occupation through 2034. Colorado-specific demand typically tracks national trends, with adjustments for local industry mix. The typical entry requirement is a postsecondary non-degree award, and Firefighters respond to fires, medical emergencies, and other hazardous situations. Like police, they typically receive strong pension benefits and overtime pay.
Methodology — How we compute this page
Wage percentiles. Primary source is the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) state-level release, 2023 vintage. We pull the state row for the SOC major group that contains Firefighter (33-0000). When the BLS suppresses a cell for data-quality reasons, we fall back to the national percentile scaled by Colorado's BEA RPP — the same method BLS's own reports use.
Take-home tax math. Federal tax uses 2025 IRS brackets and the single standard deduction ($15,000). State tax uses the Colorado2026 brackets from the state Department of Revenue, mirrored by Tax Foundation where the DoR's PDF is paywalled or split across multiple publications. FICA is Social Security 6.2% (capped at $176,100 wage base) + Medicare 1.45% + 0.9% Additional Medicare above $200,000. All math is the deterministic identity take_home = gross − federal − state − FICA; no Monte Carlo or estimator models.
Cost-of-living adjustments.We use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) for all-items. RPP is a purchasing-power index where US = 100. Real (COL-adjusted) take-home is nominal_take_home / (RPP / 100). City-level estimates scale the statewide OEWS median by each metro's composite COL index from our /data/cities.ts dataset, which merges Census ACS, BLS, and Zillow inputs.
Refresh cadence. BLS OEWS releases once a year (typically March, for the prior May reference period). BEA RPP releases once a year in December. Federal tax brackets are updated annually by the IRS (October inflation adjustment). State brackets refresh per legislative calendar. The dateModified shown above auto-bumps when any sourced value's retrievedAt changes — no template edit required.
Known limits.Statewide medians mask large intra-state variance — metros and rural counties can differ by 20–40% for the same SOC code. We don't currently bake in local income taxes (e.g. NYC, Portland-OR supplemental). We assume single-filer, standard deduction, no pre-tax contributions; users with itemized deductions or 401(k) deferrals should plug their specifics into the linked calculators. Suppressed BLS cells fall through to national-scaled fallbacks, which can under-estimate demand in specialty states.
Sources
Every number on this page cites a primary public dataset. Last reviewed (auto-bumped on the next ISR refresh after an ETL run).
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — state-level occupational wages — www.bls.gov/oes. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
- BLS Employment Projections — 2024–34 occupational growth rates — www.bls.gov/emp. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
- Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities by State (all-items RPP) — www.bea.gov/data/prices-inflation/regional-price-parities-state-and-metro-area. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
- Internal Revenue Service — Federal individual income tax brackets and standard deductions — www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-17. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
- Social Security Administration — OASDI / Medicare contribution and wage-base rules — www.ssa.gov. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
- Colorado Department of Revenue — 2026 individual income tax brackets (accessed via Tax Foundation mirror) — taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/state-income-tax-rates. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division — State Minimum Wage Laws — www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
- FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) — real median household income per state — fred.stlouisfed.org. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
- U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates — www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
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