DENLocal ordinance
Denver minimum wage 2026
Denver's minimum wage is $18.81 per hour as of 2026-01-01, set by local ordinance above the Colorado rate.[Ordinance]
City minimum
DEN$18.81
Effective 2026-01-01.
Verified 2026-06-24
Tipped cash wage
$15.79
Verified 2026-06-24
Next step
$19.25
Effective 2027-01-01.
Verified 2026-06-24
Take-home at $18.81/hour
Estimated take-home at $18.81 per hour
20 hours/week
$376.20
~$324/wk after tax
$19,562.4 annual gross
30 hours/week
$564.30
~$471/wk after tax
$29,343.6 annual gross
40 hours/week
$752.40
~$613/wk after tax
$39,124.8 annual gross
Estimate uses 2026 federal brackets (single filer), FICA 7.65 percent, and a flat state effective rate. Actual withholding varies by W-4 and credits.
Ordinance background
Denver Revised Municipal Code 58 indexes each January 1 to the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood CPI-U. Tip credit capped at $3.02 per hour (matches state). App-based-driver minimum-pay ordinance enacted 2024.