School Bus Monitors
Median $16.12 an hour in Colorado · 150 jobs
Colorado · 2026 take-home pay
$16 an hour after taxes in Colorado
At $16 an hour in Colorado you keep about $13.47 of every hour — $539 a week, $2,335 a month or $28,018 a year full time — after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, Colorado income tax and state payroll programs. Colorado has a flat 4.4% income tax plus FAMLI, and its minimum wage is $15.16 an hour.
Where $16 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $33,280 | $640 | $16.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$1,814 | −$35 | −$0.87 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$2,063 | −$40 | −$0.99 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$483 | −$9 | −$0.23 |
| Colorado income tax | −$756 | −$15 | −$0.36 |
| FAMLI (Family and Medical Leave Insurance) | −$146 | −$3 | −$0.07 |
| Take-home pay | $28,018 | $539 | $13.47 |
Effective tax rate 15.8% · federal bracket 12% · Colorado bracket 4.4%.
FAMLI (Family and Medical Leave Insurance): 0.44% of wages.
Take-home per paycheck
| Paid | Gross | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (52 paychecks) | $640.00 | $538.81 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $1,280.00 | $1,077.62 |
| Twice a month (24) | $1,386.67 | $1,167.42 |
| Monthly (12) | $2,773.33 | $2,334.84 |
$16 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Colorado for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $16 an hour for hours over 40, as federal law requires for most hourly workers.
| Schedule | Gross a week | Take-home a week | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 hours a week* | $320 | $293 | $15,216 |
| 30 hours a week | $480 | $417 | $21,665 |
| 40 hours a week | $640 | $539 | $28,018 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $760 | $629 | $32,730 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $880 | $720 | $37,442 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $16 an hour good pay in Colorado?
- Minimum wage: $16 an hour is 1.1 times Colorado's minimum wage of $15.16 an hour. Denver and some other cities set higher local minimums.
- Among Colorado workers: It's below the 10th percentile of hourly pay in Colorado (BLS, May 2025) — fewer than about 1 in 10 workers earn less. The median is $28.75 an hour.
- Local prices: Colorado's price level is 103.1% of the U.S. average (BEA Regional Price Parities), so $28,018 a year buys about what $27,188 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $832 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,167 a month for needs, $700 for wants and $467 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Colorado that pay about $16 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Colorado is within 4% of $16 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners
Median $16.56 an hour in Colorado
Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners
Median $16.33 an hour in Colorado
How Colorado compares on $16 an hour
Colorado ranks 33rd of 51 for take-home pay on $16 an hour (1st = keeps the most). Here it is next to its neighbors.
| State | After tax, per hour | A year | Minimum wage | vs Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $13.47 | $28,018 | $15.16 | — |
| Arizona | $13.69 | $28,482 | $15.15 | +$464 a year |
| Kansas | $13.39 | $27,854 | $7.25 | −$164 a year |
| Nebraska | $13.60 | $28,282 | $15.00 | +$264 a year |
| New Mexico | $13.68 | $28,457 | $12.00 | +$439 a year |
| Oklahoma | $13.45 | $27,968 | $7.25 | −$50 a year |
| Utah | $13.56 | $28,210 | $7.25 | +$192 a year |
| Wyoming | $13.90 | $28,920 | $7.25 | +$902 a year |
How the federal tax on $33,280 ($16 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $33,280 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $17,180. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $4,780 | $574 |
| Total | $17,180 | $1,814 |
How the Colorado income tax on $33,280 ($16 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $33,280 of Colorado wages minus $16,100 standard deduction = $17,180.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 4.4% | $17,180 | $756 |
| Total | $17,180 | $756 |
Common questions
How much is $16 an hour after taxes in Colorado?
About $13.47 for every hour you work, or $28,018 a year at 40 hours a week ($33,280 gross). Taxes take about 15.8% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $16 an hour a week after taxes in Colorado?
About $539 a week at 40 hours, from $640 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,078.
How much is $16 an hour a month after taxes in Colorado?
About $2,335 a month at 40 hours a week, from $2,773 gross.
Is $16 an hour good pay in Colorado?
$16 an hour is 1.1 times Colorado's minimum wage of $15.16 an hour. It's below the 10th percentile of hourly pay in Colorado (BLS, May 2025) — fewer than about 1 in 10 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Colorado is $28.75. After taxes and local prices, $28,018 a year buys about what $27,188 would at national-average prices.
Is Colorado a high-tax state for $16 an hour?
It ranks 33rd of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $16 an hour. The most you'd keep is $28,920 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $26,771 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Colorado
- $12 an hour in Colorado
- $13 an hour in Colorado
- $14 an hour in Colorado
- $15 an hour in Colorado
- $17 an hour in Colorado
- $18 an hour in Colorado
- $19 an hour in Colorado
- $20 an hour in Colorado
$16 an hour in every state · $30,000 a year in Colorado · $35,000 a year in Colorado · Colorado paycheck calculator · All pay conversions
Sources and method
Our 2026 engine applies IRS Publication 15-T withholding, Social Security and Medicare, Colorado's income tax rules and Colorado's employee payroll programs (methodology). Local income taxes are not included. Minimum wages: U.S. Department of Labor. Wage distribution and jobs: BLS OEWS May 2025. Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities.
- Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods — Internal Revenue Service. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- State Minimum Wage Laws — U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- Regional Price Parities by State — U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Accessed October 14, 2026.