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Public Safety · Colorado

First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives Salary

in Colorado

First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives in Colorado make a median of $126,810 a year, or about $60.97 an hour. The range runs from $89K at the entry level to $156K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.71), that's roughly $122,274 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,832/month, or 23.3% of estimated take-home pay.

Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Colorado. Jump to a metro for precise data:

Median pay
$127K
per year, before taxes
Hourly
$60.97
median hourly rate
Starting out
$89K
10th percentile
Top earners
$156K
90th percentile

Where the paycheck goes

What $127K actually covers in Colorado, month by month

Estimated monthly take-home$7,654/mo
Median 2BR rent-$1,832/mo
Rent as % of take-home23.9% (within guideline)
Cost-of-living adjusted salary$122,274/yr
Monthly remaining after rent$5,822/mo

About first-line supervisors of police and detectives

Education: High school diploma or equivalent
U.S. employed: 154,610
Colorado employed: 2,790
Category: Public Safety

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What this looks like in Colorado

Colorado sits well above the national pay line for first-line supervisors of police and detectives, local pay runs about 20% higher than the U.S. median of $106K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,832/month, 23.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 103.71) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Colorado offers a genuinely strong financial position for first-line supervisors of police and detectives at the median.

Compensation breakdown

Annual earnings by percentile, Colorado

Bar chart showing First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives salary percentiles in Colorado: 10th percentile $88,800, 25th percentile $116,750, median $126,810, 75th percentile $133,400, 90th percentile $156,310. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.10th$89K25th$117KMedian$127K75th$133K90th$156K
Bar chart showing First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives salary percentiles in Colorado: 10th percentile $88,800, 25th percentile $116,750, median $126,810, 75th percentile $133,400, 90th percentile $156,310. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Entry-level first-line supervisors of police and detectives (10th percentile) start around $89K. Mid-career wages sit at $127K. Top earners bring in $156K or more, a $68K spread from bottom to top.

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First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives salary by metro in Colorado

7 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay

Metro areaMedian salaryvs. stateEmployment
Boulder$132K+4%80
Fort Collins-Loveland$131K+3%100
Greeley$128K+1%170
Denver-Aurora-Centennial$127K+0%1,430
Colorado Springs$122K-3%320
Grand Junction$122K-4%90
Pueblo$103K-19%60

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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Colorado numbers change.

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Quick answers

The stuff people actually ask about this job

Can a first-line supervisors of police and detectif afford a 2BR apartment alone in Colorado?

Yes — at the median salary of $127K, rent takes 23.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,832/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.

What’s the entry-level salary for first-line supervisors of police and detectives in Colorado?

The 10th-percentile wage — what new first-line supervisors of police and detectives typically earn — is $89K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,579/month. At HUD’s $1,832/month FMR, rent would take 33% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.

Is first-line supervisors of police and detectif a high-paying job in Colorado?

Local pay is 20% above the national median — $127K here vs. $106K nationally.

How does Colorado compare to the national average for first-line supervisors of police and detectives?

Colorado pays $127K median vs. the U.S. average of $106K — that’s +20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.71), the purchasing-power equivalent is $122K — still ahead of the national median.

How much do first-line supervisors of police and detectives make in Colorado?

The median is $126,810 a year, that works out to about $61 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $88,800, and experienced first-line supervisors of police and detectives can clear $156,310. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

Is $127K enough to live in Colorado?

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,654/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,832/month, which eats 23.9% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.

How far does a first-line supervisors of police and detectives salary go in Colorado?

Colorado has a Regional Price Parity of 103.71 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median first-line supervisors of police and detectives salary is worth about $122,274 in national-average purchasing power.

Where do first-line supervisors of police and detectives get paid the most?

The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.

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