Average RN Salary in Colorado (2026)

Written by: Ann Real, MA, BSN, RN Content Writer

Reviewed by: Rishi Kulkarni, PhD VP, Engineering and Machine Learning, Data Science

The Centennial State has one of the nation's fastest-growing life sciences and healthcare sectors, featuring more than 2,500 bioscience companies, major research centers, and some of the nation’s best healthcare facilities. The registered nurse (RN) salary in Colorado is competitive, particularly in major cities like Denver and Aurora. Additionally, you can also work in world-class ski resorts, like Aspen and Vail, serving over 10 million yearly visitors.

What can registered nurses expect to earn in Colorado? From metropolitan Denver to mountain towns, this guide breaks down salary data and the factors that impact what nurses earn.

What’s the Average RN Salary in Colorado?

Registered nurses in Colorado earn about $103,762 per year, or $49.89 per hour, on average. Of course, not every RN earns the same. Your salary can vary based on your experience, education, specialty, practice setting, and other factors.

How these numbers are determined: Our wage estimates for the RN salary in Colorado are based on two inputs: Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data and Credenza's own job postings feed, which features current job ads for nurses in the area. Estimates are updated monthly. Learn more about our methodology.

City-Specific Averages

Who’s hiring RNs in Colorado, and what are they paying? Explore the latest openings in the state’s leading healthcare hubs and see what salaries employers are offering.

Your salary. Your city.

What Do RNs Make in Colorado?

Median pay for RNs in Colorado's top-paying areas, from Credenza's salary model. Updated monthly.

Find RN Jobs in Colorado

Our own salary estimates · Updated monthly · Free to access
Annual figures are annualized equivalents (40 hrs/week × 52 weeks) of median hourly pay.

RN Salary in Colorado vs. Other States

A national salary number gives you the big picture — but details like location can change the true amount you’ll earn. Colorado offers higher-than-average salaries for registered nurses. Still, what you earn can vary based on your experience, workplace type, and other factors.

Wondering how Colorado compares with the states around it? Let’s take a look at the regional pay differences:

Benefits of Being a Colorado RN

From big city hospitals to ski town clinics, registered nurses play an essential role throughout the Mile High state. With a population of more than 5.9 million people, Colorado offers RNs opportunities in many different settings, including acute care hospitals, specialty clinics, and research centers.

Here are some of the key benefits of working as an RN in Colorado:

Top-ranking healthcare systems. The state is home to major healthcare employers, including UC Health, Intermountain Health, and HCA, creating opportunities in areas such as critical care, emergency medicine, and other top-paying specialties and settings.
Respected schools. Colorado is home to respected nursing programs at institutions such as the University of Colorado, Colorado State University, and the University of Northern Colorado. These programs help prepare future nurses and provide opportunities for working RNs to advance their education through bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs.
Career flexibility. Through the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), Colorado RNs can apply for multistate licenses and work in over 40 other participating states.
Unique lifestyle outside of work. Colorado offers something few states can match — the ability to build a nursing career while living near world-famous outdoor destinations, including skiing resorts, hiking trails, and national parks. It’s no wonder Colorado consistently ranks as one of the healthiest states.
Opportunities at academic medical centers. Colorado is home to thousands of life science companies and research institutions, including the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. This creates many opportunities in research, education, and medical innovation.

Healthcare Facilities in Colorado

Colorado’s healthcare network offers RNs countless ways to grow their careers, with more than 100 hospitals, including Magnet-designated facilities. This means you can work in almost any nursing specialty and setting, including med-surg, critical care, and pediatrics.

Ready to start applying for jobs? Explore current nursing openings below:

A nursing career does not have to follow a single path. Beyond traditional hospital roles, Colorado nurses can explore opportunities in summer camps, home health, educational institutions, med-tech startups, and other areas that match their interests and experience.

Professional Support for Colorado RNs

Navigating your nursing career is easier when you know where to find trusted information. The Colorado Board of Nursing regulates everything related to nursing practice in the state, including licensing rules and practice laws. Read more about the Colorado Nurse Practice Act.

Need information on how to become an RN or how to renew your license? Our comprehensive guides can help you navigate the process. And if you’re looking for more support, check out the following resources for networking opportunities and more information on everything nursing in Colorado:

How to Increase Your Salary in Colorado

Experience matters, but it is not the only thing that determines your earning potential as an RN. The type of nursing you do, the skills you build, the credentials you earn, and the roles you pursue can all open the door to higher-paying opportunities.

Want to earn the highest RN salary in Colorado? Here are some ways to grow your salary:

Earn certifications that match your career goals. Credentials such as Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN), Certified Wound Ostomy Continence Nurse (CWOCN), and Certified Ambulatory Perianesthesia Nurse (CAPA) can position you as an expert in your field and help you earn a top salary.
Continue your education. A higher degree can open the door to positions with more responsibility and higher pay. Earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), or an additional degree like Master of Business Administration (MBA) can help you move into roles such as nurse manager, nurse practitioner, and healthcare administrator.
Consider travel nursing. Holding a multistate license can open the door to travel nursing assignments across different states. These roles often come with higher hourly pay, housing stipends, completion bonuses, and other incentives, especially in locations facing nurse shortages. It’s also possible to be a travel nurse in your own city.
Find a flexible side job. Per diem and part-time opportunities can help you increase your earnings without committing to a second full-time job. Many healthcare employers need nurses to cover staffing gaps, creating flexible opportunities with competitive compensation.
Start your own business. Your nursing experience can become the foundation for a business of your own. Some RNs build careers as independent health consultants, nurse coaches, NCLEX tutors, and even social media influencers. These paths can create new income opportunities while allowing you to use your healthcare expertise in a new creative way.

Why Trust Us?

How much you make as a registered nurse is important. That’s why it’s crucial to get numbers reporting the RN salary in Colorado and other regions right. We have the data and the experience to do just that. Here’s why you can rely on us.

Methodology: How We Get the Data

Data Sources. Wage estimates combine two inputs. The first is the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, which is the federal benchmark for what healthcare workers actually earn. It's the most reliable measure available, but it's published annually, lags the market, and doesn't report on thousands of smaller market-and-discipline combinations. The second is Credenza's own job postings feed, a daily export of active listings from verified healthcare employers. Postings are current and granular, but they advertise pay rather than report it, as advertised rates typically run a few percentage points off actual earnings, by an amount that varies market to market.

How Estimates Are Calculated. Rather than averaging listings, our model treats each market's wage as an unknown value that both sources give partial evidence about. It learns the gap between advertised and earned pay for each market, anchors markets with sparse data to their state's wage level, and carries estimates forward year over year at a rate learned from historical data. Every figure is published with an interval reflecting how much evidence stands behind it.

Data Cleaning. We exclude extreme outlier salary ranges, which are often artifacts of data collection. These are rare, but in thin markets a single outlier listing can shift an average by whole percentage points.

Coverage and Limitations. Our estimates cover roughly 1,600 market-and-discipline combinations the federal survey never reports on, including rural areas and smaller metros. All figures are statistical estimates rather than measured wages, and shifts in which employers are posting can affect the advertised-versus-earned correction. These figures describe market conditions and aren't a substitute for a formal compensation study.

Who We Are

All our Career Advice articles, including the Nursing Salary pages, were prepared by the humans on the Credenza content team. Our team comprises subject matter experts — registered nurse writers — and an editorial staff who uphold a rigorous review process to ensure that our articles are both accurate and relevant to modern nurses. Our articles provide actionable steps to help you maximize your career potential, whether you’re seeking new employment opportunities or just looking for ways to gain greater job satisfaction.

About Credenza

Credenza is the clinician career destination, the single place to manage your career, unlock every opportunity, and ensure you’re always ready for what’s next. The clinical job market is moving fast. On Credenza, your profile unlocks every relevant match, specialty, and setting all in one place. Credenza — one profile, one platform, every opportunity.

Average Registered Nurse (RN) Salary in Colorado (2026)