2023 Colorado State Minimum Wage
Effective January 1, 2023: Minimum Wage $13.65
Tipped Employee Minimum Wage: $10.63
2022 Colorado State Minimum Wage
Effective January 1, 2022: Minimum Wage $12.56
Tipped Employee Minimum Wage: $9.54
For 2023, the Colorado state minimum wage rate is $13.65. No more than $3.02 per hour in tip income may be used to offset the minimum wage of tipped employees. (See Colorado Overtime and Minimum Pay Standards (COMPS) Order #38 and the 2023 PAY CALC Order.)
With the passage of Amendment 70, effective January 1, 2017, Colorado's minimum wage was increased to $9.30 per hour and was increased annually by $0.90 each January 1 until it reached $12 per hour effective January 2020. Thereafter it is adjusted annually for cost of living increases, as measured by the Consumer Price Index used for Colorado. This minimum wage shall be paid to employees who receive the state or federal minimum wage. No more than $3.02 per hour in tip income may be used to offset the minimum wage of employees who regularly receive tips.
Pursuant to Section 15 of Article XVIII,of the Colorado Constitution, if either of the following two situations applies to an employee, then the employee is entitled to the $13.65 state minimum wage or the $10.63 state tipped employee minimum wage, effective January 1, 2023:
- The employee is covered by the minimum wage provisions of the Colorado Overtime and Minimum Pay Standards (COMPS) Order #38.
- The employee is covered by the minimum wage provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Employers with employees covered by COMPS Order # 38 are required to post the Colorado Overtime &, Minimum Pay Standards (COMPS) Order #38 Poster (below).
- Colorado Overtime & Minimum Pay Standards (COMPS Order) #38 (effective 1/1/2022)
- 2023 Colorado Overtime & Minimum Pay Standards (COMPS Order) #38 Poster- English (effective 1/1/2023)
- INFO # 1: Colorado Overtime & Minimum Pay Standards Order (COMPS Order) #38
- 2023 Publication And Yearly Calculation of Adjusted Labor Compensation (2023 PAY CALC) Order
- Póster de la Orden de COMPS #38 (Colorado Overtime &, Minimum Pay Standards (COMPS Order) #38 Poster)
- Hoja Informativa y Opinión Formal (INFO por sus siglas en inglés) # 1: Orden de COMPS #38 (COMPS Order #38 Interpretive Notice and Formal Opinion ("INFO #1"))
Colorado State Minimum Wage vs Federal Minimum Wage
Minimum Wage
If an employee is covered by federal and Colorado state minimum wage laws, then the employer must pay the higher minimum wage. Federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour, which is lower than the 2023 Colorado state minimum wage of $13.65. Therefore, based upon current information, covered employers in Colorado will have to pay their employees the higher value of $13.65 per hour under Colorado law beginning January 1, 2023.
Tipped Minimum Wage
If an employee is covered by federal and Colorado state minimum wage laws, then the employer must pay the higher minimum wage for tipped employees. Federal tipped minimum wage is currently $2.13 per hour, which is lower than the 2023 Colorado tipped minimum wage of $10.63 per hour. Therefore, based upon current information, covered employers in Colorado are required to pay their tipped employees the higher value of $10.63 per hour under Colorado law beginning January 1, 2023.
If an employee's tips combined with the employer's cash wage of at least $10.63 per hour do not equal the minimum hourly wage, the employer must make up the difference in cash wages.
|
EFFECTIVE DATE |
MINIMUM WAGE |
TIPPED EMPLOYEE MINIMUM WAGE |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2023 | $13.65 | $10.63 |
| January 1, 2022 | $12.56 | $9.54 |
| January 1, 2021 | $12.32 | $9.30 |
| January 1, 2020 | $12.00 | $8.98 |
| January 1, 2019 | $11.10 | $8.08 |
| January 1, 2018 | $10.20 | $7.18 |
| January 1, 2017 | $9.30 | $6.28 |
| January 1, 2016 | $8.31 | $5.29 |
| January 1, 2015 | $8.23 | $5.21 |
| January 1, 2014 | $8.00 | $4.98 |
| January 1, 2013 | $7.78 | $4.76 |
| January 1, 2012 | $7.64 | $4.62 |
| January 1, 2011 | $7.36 | $4.34 |
| January 1, 2010 | $7.24 | $4.22 |
| January 1, 2009 | $7.28 | $4.26 |
| January 1, 2008 | $7.02 | $4.26 |
| January 1, 2007 | $6.85 | $3.83 |
| August 8, 1998 | $5.15 | $2.13 |
Federal Resources
Federal Minimum Wage
Federal Minimum Wage Poster
U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division
Fair Labor Standards Act
Contact Us
Colorado Division of Labor Standards and Statistics| 303-318-8441 | Contact Us