How Much Does an RN Make in Boulder, CO in 2026?
Typical pay for RNs in Boulder, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Colorado.
BLS OES May 2025 · Boulder metro area
A typical RN in Boulder, Colorado earns $49.66 per hour, or $103,290 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $8,608 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $84,530, and the top 10% of earners make over $128,260.
That pay is 3% above the Colorado figure of $100,260 and 6% above the national figure of $97,550. Boulder ranks 1st of 7 metro areas in Colorado for RN pay. About 3,140 RNs work in the Boulder area.
RN pay in Boulder at a glance
- Typical pay is $49.66 an hour, or $103,290 a year.
- That is 3% above the Colorado figure, ranking 1st of 7 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $84,530; the top 10% make over $128,260.
- Typical pay rose +37% from 2015 to 2025, against +46% for Colorado as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an RN make in Boulder?
Pay in Boulder runs from entry-level positions at around $40.64 an hour to more than $61.66 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Colorado and national figures.
RN pay by career stage in Boulder
| Career stage | Boulder | Colorado | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $84,530$40.64 an hour | $79,500$38.22 an hour | $68,940$33.14 an hour |
| First years | $89,760$43.15 an hour | $84,590$40.67 an hour | $80,330$38.62 an hour |
| Typical RN | $103,290$49.66 an hour | $100,260$48.20 an hour | $97,550$46.90 an hour |
| Experienced | $110,430$53.09 an hour | $108,930$52.37 an hour | $112,350$54.02 an hour |
| Top 10% | $128,260$61.66 an hour | $124,940$60.07 an hour | $137,470$66.09 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Boulder area as BLS defines it
RN pay growth in Boulder
Typical (median) annual wage for RNs in the Boulder area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical RN pay in Boulder was $75,200 a year. By 2025 it had reached $103,290, a change of +37%, compared with +46% for Colorado over the same years.
How Boulder compares with other Colorado cities
Boulder pays RNs the most of any metro area in Colorado. The lowest-paying area in the state is Pueblo at $95,720.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Boulder | RNs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boulder | $103,290 | $49.66 | this city | 3,140 |
| 2 | Centennial | $101,130 | $48.62 | -2% | 30,380 |
| 3 | Fort Collins metro incl. Loveland | $97,600 | $46.92 | -6% | — |
| 4 | Greeley | $96,300 | $46.30 | -7% | 1,390 |
| 5 | Colorado Springs | $96,140 | $46.22 | -7% | 6,800 |
| 6 | Grand Junction | $95,990 | $46.15 | -7% | 2,130 |
| 7 | Pueblo | $95,720 | $46.02 | -7% | 2,040 |
Every metro area in Colorado with RN wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Colorado typical pay $100,260
Is Boulder a good place to work as an RN?
RNs in Boulder earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $103,290 a year, 6% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the Boulder area, about 16 are RN positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 22. That makes RNs a smaller part of the local job market than usual, so employers draw from a smaller pool of qualified candidates.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an RN make in Boulder, CO?
- A typical RN in Boulder earns $103,290 a year, or $49.66 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $84,530 and the top 10% earn over $128,260.
- How much does an RN make an hour in Boulder?
- Typical hourly pay for RNs in Boulder is $49.66. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $40.64, and the top 10% earn over $61.66 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an RN in Boulder?
- Entry-level RN positions in Boulder typically offer around $40.64 an hour, or $84,530 a year.
- Is RN pay in Boulder higher than in the rest of Colorado?
- Boulder pay is 3% above the Colorado figure of $100,260 a year, ranking 1st of 7 metro areas in the state.