About Us
Through the Office of Labor Standards (LS), DLSS interprets, investigates, issues guidance and rules on, and enforces a range of labor laws, including:
- wages (minimum, overtime, deductions, etc.);
- health-related leave and whistleblowing;
- pay and promotion transparency (limits on using or accessing employee's credit or criminal history or social media);
- union-management relations (elections and certain grievances);
- and youth employment.
Through the Office of Labor Market Information (LMI), DLSS collects, calculates, and analyzes information on the state of, and trends in, labor markets throughout Colorado. Through the “LMI Gateway” site, LMI presents its data in various ways:
- industry employment and wages;
- current and projected industry and occupation levels;
- occupational wages;
- and labor force employment and wages.
LMI also provides more customized information and analyses that help workforce centers, unemployment insurance, and policy-makers serve all Coloradans.
Annual Minimum Wages
Colorado's minimum wage is inflation-adjusted annually and a local government can set a higher minimum wage. See the following guidance for more details on: wage & hour law generally, INFO #1; local minimum wages, INFO #19, and the 2023 Local Minimum Wage Report; when employers can pay tipped employees $3.02 below the full minimum, INFO #3C.
| Minimum Wage in: | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado (if no higher local minimum) | $14.42 ($11.40 w/ tip credit) | $13.65 ($10.63 w/ tip credit) | $12.56 ($9.54 w/ tip credit) |
| Denver | $18.29 ($15.27 w/ tip credit) | $17.29 ($14.27 w/ tip credit) | $15.87 ($12.85 w/ tip credit) |
| Edgewater | $15.02 ($12.00 w/ tip credit) | -- | -- |
| Boulder County (only unincorporated areas) | $15.69 ($12.67 w/ tip credit) | -- | -- |