Police Officer · Colorado · SOC 33-3051
Police Officer Salary in Colorado (2026)
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2024 reference period · BEA Regional Price Parity 2023 vintage · Last synced 2026-05-05.
TL;DR
- Median Police Officer salary in Colorado: $96,100 nominal, $94,349 real (BEA RPP basis).
- Cost adjustment is small — neither an arbitrage state nor a high-cost penalty.
- Bottom quartile $77,550, top quartile $103,840. The P90 ($111,360) is roughly 1.7× the P10 ($65,850).
- On a real-wage basis, this state sits at #5 of 51; nominal rank is #5.
Wage breakdown — Colorado
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $65,850 | $64,650 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $77,550 | $76,137 |
| P50 (median) | $96,100 | $94,349 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $103,840 | $101,948 |
| P90 (top tier) | $111,360 | $109,331 |
| Mean | $90,660 | $89,008 |
| Employment | 9,480 Police Officers 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 (Police Officer) | $96,100 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$12,389 | 12.9% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$3,535 | 4.4% flat (2026) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$7,352 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $72,824 | 75.8% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $71,497 | ÷ (101.9 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the Colorado state-tax burden means for Police Officer take-home
Mid-band state-tax burden at 3.7% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $72,824 (75.8% of gross). After the 101.9 RPP, real take-home is $71,497.
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 $76,290 for Police Officers with mean pay of $79,320 and total employment of 666,990. Colorado sits at #5 on nominal pay and #5 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. Nominal and real ranking are the same — cost of living and pay scale together.
Frequently asked questions
- How are Colorado Police Officer 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.
- What does the top of the Police Officer pay scale look like in Colorado?
- The 90th percentile lands at $111,360. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $103,840.
- How many Police Officers does Colorado employ?
- BLS OES counts 9,480 Police Officers 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.
- How wide is the wage spread in Colorado?
- P10 to P90 spans $65,850 to $111,360. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
- Is Colorado a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Police Officers?
- No — Colorado's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.
- Is pension included in BLS police officer pay for Colorado?
- No — BLS OEWS measures W-2 wage and salary income only. The defined-benefit pension is the single largest piece of police compensation and BLS never captures it. Colorado police pension formulas typically pay 50-75% of final-3-year average salary after 20-25 years of service, with most plans allowing retirement at 50-55. Including pension's actuarial present value, total police compensation in Colorado runs 30-50% above the BLS-reported figure.
- Federal vs state trooper vs city / county pay in Colorado?
- BLS aggregates city PD, county sheriff, and state troopers under SOC 33-3051 (federal officers are separately classified under 33-3052 and not reflected in this page). In Colorado, state troopers typically lead on starting base, big-city PDs lead on overtime opportunity and detail income, and sheriff's deputies usually trail on base but lead on assignment flexibility. Federal LE (FBI, USMS, ATF, DEA, ICE, Border Patrol) pays under the GS scale plus LEAP availability pay (25%) and locality, putting federal LE pay above most Colorado state and local positions at the senior level.
Sources & methodology
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 33-3051, 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 Police Officer 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.