Registered Nurse Salary
Registered Nurses in Colorado make a median of $100,260 a year, or about $48.2 an hour. The range runs from $80K at the entry level to $125K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.71), that's roughly $96,673 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,832/month, or 28.3% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Colorado. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $100K actually covers in Colorado, month by month
About registered nurses
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What this looks like in Colorado
Registered nurses pay in Colorado tracks closely to the national median, $100K locally vs. $98K nationwide, a 3% difference. Rent runs $1,832/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 103.71) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Colorado
Entry-level registered nurses (10th percentile) start around $80K. Mid-career wages sit at $100K. Top earners bring in $125K or more, a $45K spread from bottom to top.
Registered Nurses salary by metro in Colorado
7 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder | $103K | +3% | 3,140 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $101K | +1% | 30,380 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland | $98K | -3% | N/A |
| Greeley | $96K | -4% | 1,390 |
| Colorado Springs | $96K | -4% | 6,800 |
| Grand Junction | $96K | -4% | 2,130 |
| Pueblo | $96K | -5% | 2,040 |
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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 registered nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in Colorado?
Yes — at the median salary of $100K, rent takes 29.5% 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 registered nurses in Colorado?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new registered nurses typically earn — is $80K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,068/month. At HUD’s $1,832/month FMR, rent would take 36% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is registered nurse a high-paying job in Colorado?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $100K locally vs. $98K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Colorado compare to the national average for registered nurses?
Colorado pays $100K median vs. the U.S. average of $98K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.71), the purchasing-power equivalent is $97K — below the national median.
How much do registered nurses make in Colorado?
The median is $100,260 a year, that works out to about $48 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $79,500, and experienced registered nurses can clear $124,940. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $100K enough to live in Colorado?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,209/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,832/month, which eats 29.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a registered nurses 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 registered nurses salary is worth about $96,673 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do registered nurses 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.