Nurse salary in Colorado

Colorado is one of the middle paying states for registered nurses. The registered nurse salary in Colorado is $78,070 per year. This means that nurses in Colorado earn an average of $37.53 per hour. On the other hand, the national average for registered nurses is $$77,600 per year. This annual salary is approximately $37.31 per hour.‍

(Data courtesy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Use Salary Explorer to see which cities in Colorado are paying registered nurses the most.

Average gross weekly nurse pay in the top cities/wider metro area

1. Wheat Ridge - $2,390
2. Highlands Ranch - $2,305
3. Aurora - $2,210
4. Lamar - $2,184
5. Pueblo - $2,165
6. Cortez - $2,152
7. Delta - $2,110
8. Durango - $2,109
9. Glenwood Springs - $2,103
10. Colorado Springs - $2,088

(Data courtesy of Trusted Health, May 2021)

Average annual nurse salary in the following cities/wider metro areas

1. Boulder - $79,100
2. Denver Metro Area - $79,100
3. Fort Collins - $77,890
4. Colorado Springs - $77,030
5. Grand Junction - $77,030
6. Greeley - $75,440
7. Pueblo - $75,040

(Data courtesy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Average annual nurse salary for the following nurse specialties

1. Med/Surg Nurse - $96,964 (Range of $87,721 - $108,021)
2. Progressive Care Nurse - $86,446 (Range of $76,095 - $97,999)
3. Operating Room Nurse - $78,629 (Range of $70,549 - $86,923)
4. Emergency Nurse - $76,499 (Range of $68,313 - $84,968)
5. ICU Nurse - $75,986 (Range of $68,464 - $82,577)
6. Labor and Delivery Nurse - $73,800 (Range of $67,200 - $83,600)
7. Pediatric Nurse - $72,200 (Range of $65,500 - $82,700)

(Data courtesy of Salary.com, May 2021)

Although nurse salaries in Colorado may only be about 1% higher than the national average, living in Colorado costs about average. Colorado ranks close to the national cost of living index. While your nursing salary may be average, the cost of rent alone may make up for it. For more detailed cost of living by city, check out the nurse Salary Explorer.

(Data courtesy of World Population Review)

Colorado is a popular destination for staff and travel nurses alike. In 2021, Colorado was home to more than 56,060 nurses.

However, Colorado has a strong job outlook, as the number of nurses in Colorado is expected to grow. Registered nurse jobs are forecasted to grow by more than 3.7% between 2021 and 2023, bringing the total number of working nurses in Colorado to more than 56,050. ‍

(Data courtesy of Projections Central)