Office Clerks, General
Median $25.75 an hour in Colorado · 31,770 jobs
Colorado · 2026 take-home pay
$26 an hour after taxes in Colorado
At $26 an hour in Colorado you keep about $21.02 of every hour — $841 a week, $3,644 a month or $43,724 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 $26 an hour goes
| A year | A week | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $54,080 | $1,040 | $26.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$4,310 | −$83 | −$2.07 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$3,353 | −$64 | −$1.61 |
| Medicare (1.45%+) | −$784 | −$15 | −$0.38 |
| Colorado income tax | −$1,671 | −$32 | −$0.80 |
| FAMLI (Family and Medical Leave Insurance) | −$238 | −$5 | −$0.11 |
| Take-home pay | $43,724 | $841 | $21.02 |
Effective tax rate 19.1% · 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) | $1,040.00 | $840.85 |
| Every two weeks (26) | $2,080.00 | $1,681.70 |
| Twice a month (24) | $2,253.33 | $1,821.84 |
| Monthly (12) | $4,506.67 | $3,643.68 |
$26 an hour at different hours
Take-home in Colorado for part-time, full-time and overtime weeks. Overtime is paid at 1.5 times $26 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* | $520 | $448 | $23,277 |
| 30 hours a week | $780 | $645 | $33,515 |
| 40 hours a week | $1,040 | $841 | $43,724 |
| 40 hours + 5 overtime | $1,235 | $988 | $51,381 |
| 40 hours + 10 overtime | $1,430 | $1,120 | $58,252 |
*If this is your only job. With a second job, withholding on each is likely too low unless you adjust your W-4.
Is $26 an hour good pay in Colorado?
- Minimum wage: $26 an hour is 1.7 times Colorado's minimum wage of $15.16 an hour. Denver and some other cities set higher local minimums.
- Among Colorado workers: It's about the 41st percentile of hourly pay in Colorado (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 41 in 100 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 $43,724 a year buys about what $42,429 would at national-average prices.
- Rent: the 30% rule points to about $1,352 a month. Check it with your debts.
- A 50/30/20 budget: about $1,822 a month for needs, $1,093 for wants and $729 for savings. Plan it in the budget calculator.
Jobs in Colorado that pay about $26 an hour
Occupations whose median wage in Colorado is within 4% of $26 an hour, most common first. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
Median $25.96 an hour in Colorado · 26,140 jobs
Information and Record Clerks, All Other
Median $25.29 an hour in Colorado · 13,960 jobs
Billing and Posting Clerks
Median $25.32 an hour in Colorado · 8,170 jobs
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other
Median $26.68 an hour in Colorado · 6,540 jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers
Median $26.49 an hour in Colorado · 4,070 jobs
How Colorado compares on $26 an hour
Colorado ranks 33rd of 51 for take-home pay on $26 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 | $21.02 | $43,724 | $15.16 | — |
| Arizona | $21.48 | $44,675 | $15.15 | +$951 a year |
| Kansas | $20.87 | $43,415 | $7.25 | −$309 a year |
| Nebraska | $21.18 | $44,052 | $15.00 | +$328 a year |
| New Mexico | $21.28 | $44,257 | $12.00 | +$533 a year |
| Oklahoma | $21.03 | $43,745 | $7.25 | +$21 a year |
| Utah | $21.02 | $43,726 | $7.25 | +$2 a year |
| Wyoming | $21.94 | $45,633 | $7.25 | +$1,909 a year |
How the federal tax on $54,080 ($26 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $54,080 minus the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100) = $37,980. Each slice is taxed at its own rate:
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $25,580 | $3,070 |
| Total | $37,980 | $4,310 |
How the Colorado income tax on $54,080 ($26 an hour) is worked out
Taxable income is $54,080 of Colorado wages minus $16,100 standard deduction = $37,980.
| Rate | Income in this bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 4.4% | $37,980 | $1,671 |
| Total | $37,980 | $1,671 |
Common questions
How much is $26 an hour after taxes in Colorado?
About $21.02 for every hour you work, or $43,724 a year at 40 hours a week ($54,080 gross). Taxes take about 19.1% of your pay, for a single filer in 2026 with no pre-tax deductions.
How much is $26 an hour a week after taxes in Colorado?
About $841 a week at 40 hours, from $1,040 gross. Paid every two weeks, each paycheck is about $1,682.
How much is $26 an hour a month after taxes in Colorado?
About $3,644 a month at 40 hours a week, from $4,507 gross.
Is $26 an hour good pay in Colorado?
$26 an hour is 1.7 times Colorado's minimum wage of $15.16 an hour. It's about the 41st percentile of hourly pay in Colorado (BLS, May 2025) — roughly 41 in 100 workers earn less. The median hourly wage for all jobs in Colorado is $28.75. After taxes and local prices, $43,724 a year buys about what $42,429 would at national-average prices.
Is Colorado a high-tax state for $26 an hour?
It ranks 33rd of 51 among the 50 states and D.C. for take-home on $26 an hour. The most you'd keep is $45,633 a year, in 8 places including Florida, North Dakota, New Hampshire; the least, $41,736 in Oregon.
More hourly rates
Other hourly rates in Colorado
- $22 an hour in Colorado
- $23 an hour in Colorado
- $24 an hour in Colorado
- $25 an hour in Colorado
- $27 an hour in Colorado
- $28 an hour in Colorado
- $29 an hour in Colorado
- $30 an hour in Colorado
$26 an hour in every state · $50,000 a year in Colorado · $55,000 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.