Lawyer · Colorado · SOC 23-1011
Lawyer Salary in Colorado (2026)
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2024 reference period · BEA Regional Price Parity 2023 vintage · Last synced 2026-05-07.
TL;DR
- $167,970 is the BLS median wage for Lawyers in Colorado; $164,909 is the BEA-adjusted purchasing-power equivalent.
- Mid-band breakdown: P25 $110,160, P50 $167,970, P75 —. Tail percentiles withheld by BLS — common when tech-sector wages exceed the OES survey cap.
- BEA RPP near 100 means nominal pay translates almost 1:1 into real take-home.
- Lawyer ranking: #6 on the BLS table, #5 once cost of living is in.
Wage breakdown — Colorado
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $81,940 | $80,447 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $110,160 | $108,153 |
| P50 (median) | $167,970 | $164,909 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | ||
| P90 (top tier) | ||
| Mean | $208,710 | $204,907 |
| Employment | 17,160 Lawyers in Colorado | |
Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity
| Component | Colorado index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| All-items RPP | 101.9 |
| Goods | 99.2 |
| Services | 86.8 |
| Rents | 130.5 |
Colorado's overall RPP (101.9) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.
After-tax take-home — Colorado (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)
Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median
| Layer | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gross BLS P50 (Lawyer) | $167,970 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$29,131 | 17.3% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$6,698 | 4.4% flat (2026) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$12,850 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $119,292 | 71.0% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $117,118 | ÷ (101.9 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the Colorado state-tax burden means for Lawyer take-home
Mid-band state-tax burden at 4.0% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $119,292 (71.0% of gross). After the 101.9 RPP, real take-home is $117,118.
Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).
National context
Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $151,160 for Lawyers with mean pay of $182,760 and total employment of 747,750. Colorado sits at #6 on nominal pay and #5 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Colorado climbs 1 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.
Frequently asked questions
- How are Colorado Lawyer salaries calculated on this page?
- Nominal wages come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) — annual employer surveys, May 2026 reference period. Real-wage figures use BEA Regional Price Parities (2023 vintage) to adjust for state-level cost of living. No self-report or jobs-board data is mixed in.
- How many Lawyers does Colorado employ?
- BLS OES counts 17,160 Lawyers employed in Colorado in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
- Why is the BEA RPP for Colorado different from a single CPI number?
- BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. Colorado's overall index of 101.9 reflects rents 130.5, services 86.8, and goods 99.2.
- Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Colorado?
- The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within Colorado.
- When does this data update?
- BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.
- Does the BLS lawyer median include partner profit-share in Colorado?
- No — BLS OEWS captures W-2 wage and salary income only. Equity-partner distributions at law firms are reported on K-1 (partnership income), not W-2, and are excluded entirely. In Colorado BigLaw and major regional firms, this means the BLS-reported median understates total compensation for the partnership tier substantially: P90 partner draw often runs 3-10× the BLS-reported P90 once profits-per-equity-partner are factored in. The BLS figure on this page accurately represents salaried associates, of-counsel, and staff attorneys; it does not represent equity-partner income.
- Is the Colorado bar reciprocity (admission on motion / UBE) factor relevant to pay?
- Yes — Colorado's admission-on-motion rules (or UBE-score portability) determine whether out-of-state lawyers can practice without re-sitting the bar exam, which affects labor-supply elasticity for senior roles. Colorado markets that allow broad admission on motion typically see less premium for in-state-only attorneys at the lateral level. The DeepComps Bar Admission Reciprocity by State page (linked under license reciprocity) tracks current rules; states with strict re-sit requirements show more pay compression for incoming senior laterals.
Sources & methodology
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 23-1011, 2024 reference period.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
- Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
- See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.
Cross-comparison: see how Colorado Lawyer pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.