Wage & hour - Colorado

The Colorado Labor Standards Office administers laws governing wages, minimum wage, working conditions, the Youth Employment Act and the Labor Peace Act.

State Child Labor Laws: Requirements cover permissible occupations and age restrictions, maximum hours of work, age certificates, and school release permits. 17 year-olds who are high school graduates or who have passed the GED examination are not considered minors for purposes of the act.

The Colorado Youth Employment Opportunity Act can be found in: www.colorado.gov/cdle/youthlaw

State Minimum Wage:

Effective January 1, 2026, the minimum wage is $15.16 per hour; $12.14 with tip credit.

Effective January 1, 2025, the minimum wage is $14.81 per hour; $11.79 with tip credit.

The minimum wage is adjusted annually for inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index used for Colorado.

Employers have been allowed to pay tipped employees $3.02 less than the minimum wage required in the area. Effective January 1, 2026, local governments with a minimum wage higher than the state minimum wage may increase the standard tip credit of $3.02 to include the difference between the local and state standard minimum wages.

Overtime: Premium pay is required after 12 hours daily and 40 hours weekly.

State Prevailing Wage: Colorado does not have a prevailing wage law; it was repealed in 1985.

Contact information

• Colorado Department of Labor and Employment
  Division of Labor
  633 17^th St., Suite 200
  Denver, CO 80202-3611
  Phone: 303-318-8441
  Fax: 303-318-8400
  Email: cdle_labor_standards@state.co.us
  Website: www.colorado.gov/cdle/wagelaw