Jobs, pay and daily life in Fort Carson, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Fort Carson is a city in Colorado with 18,019 residents. The median household earns $66,237 a year and the median rent is $2,180 a month, which is 39.5% of the median household income. It is part of the Colorado Springs, CO metropolitan area, where BLS counts 316,060 jobs.
How Fort Carson compares. Among the 80 largest places in Colorado, Fort Carson is #46 by population, #80 for remote work (#1 = most), #2 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #71 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, El Paso County, is #11 of 64 counties for average pay ($67,491).
Fort Carson has 18,019 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of Colorado. It covers 28 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 644 people per square mile. The median age is 22.3, 41% younger than the state median (22.3 against 37.7). It is a census-designated place: a community the Census Bureau counts as a unit, without a city government of its own, so services such as police, roads and zoning usually come from the county.
The median gross rent is $2,180 a month (rent plus utilities), 24% above the state median ($2,180 against $1,761). Over a year that is 39.5% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so rent here is above that line for the typical household.
The Colorado Springs, CO metropolitan area has 316,060 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $52,710 a year, 3% above the national median ($52,710 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (34,270 jobs, median $48,280); food preparation and serving related (32,150 jobs, median $36,480); sales and related (30,530 jobs, median $44,450). The area is most specialised in computer and mathematical (1.6 times) and architecture and engineering (1.5 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($132,060) and computer and mathematical ($122,550). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of El Paso County was 4.6%. 17.1% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in El Paso County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 53.7% drive alone, 0.0% use public transit, 25.7% walk, 1.6% work from home. 2.7% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 81% below the state average (2.7% against 14.1%).
25.6% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 44% below the state share (25.6% against 45.7%). 4.8% of residents were born outside the United States, 51% below the state share (4.8% against 9.8%). The poverty rate is 15.3%, 62% above the state rate (15.3% against 9.4%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 72°F (22.4°C), and the coolest is Dec at 29°F (-1.8°C). About 377 mm (15 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jul is the wettest month (69 mm) and Nov the driest (13 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Fountain (4 miles, rent 20% lower); Security-Widefield (5 miles, rent 18% lower); Cimarron Hills (12 miles, rent 24% lower); Colorado Springs (12 miles, rent 24% lower). Rent differences are against Fort Carson; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Colorado (1,073) →State guide: ColoradoCountry guideEl Paso CountyColorado rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,073 federal postings open in Colorado (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Colorado →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 11,470 | 1.46 | $34,420 | $30,940 | $41,490 | +10% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 9,110 | 1.58 | $41,440 | $35,380 | $48,040 | +11% |
| Retail Salespersons | 8,820 | 1.11 | $36,060 | $31,200 | $47,880 | +2% |
| Registered Nurses | 6,800 | 0.99 | $96,140 | $77,460 | $123,250 | -1% |
| Cashiers | 5,900 | 0.94 | $35,740 | $31,230 | $47,790 | +9% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 5,730 | 0.66 | $37,530 | $34,730 | $45,900 | +5% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 5,340 | 1.01 | $46,120 | $34,650 | $61,040 | +3% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 5,280 | 2.39 | $94,450 | $51,750 | $148,030 | +14% |
| Nursing Assistants | 4,910 | 1.67 | $46,120 | $38,250 | $48,360 | +9% |
| Software Developers | 4,850 | 1.41 | $134,280 | $86,540 | $207,490 | -1% |
| General and Operations Managers | 4,580 | 0.64 | $120,770 | $62,140 | $294,690 | +14% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 4,330 | 0.94 | $46,230 | $30,800 | $78,220 | +31% |
| Office Clerks, General | 4,110 | 0.82 | $49,860 | $36,620 | $77,330 | +11% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 3,640 | 1.29 | $61,140 | $47,470 | $77,620 | -4% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 3,530 | 0.79 | $37,500 | $31,790 | $48,730 | +2% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 3,480 | 1.00 | $47,010 | $35,860 | $61,550 | -1% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 3,330 | 1.16 | $38,000 | $33,050 | $46,570 | +2% |
| Project Management Specialists | 3,200 | 1.48 | $111,740 | $65,820 | $169,840 | +9% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 3,110 | 1.08 | $34,840 | $30,800 | $45,240 | -5% |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | 3,060 | 1.20 | $75,830 | $40,150 | $155,620 | +8% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 1,050 | 0.77 | $192,400 | $119,420 | $285,520 | +10% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 560 | 1.24 | $183,400 | $131,590 | $261,580 | +7% |
| Sales Managers | 600 | 0.46 | $177,780 | $99,130 | $299,990 | +20% |
| Financial Managers | 710 | 0.42 | $172,680 | $117,930 | $291,350 | +4% |
| Aerospace Engineers | 990 | 7.18 | $151,980 | $117,890 | $209,180 | +13% |
| Managers, All Other | 1,280 | 1.01 | $149,120 | $93,870 | $237,600 | +5% |
| Software Developers | 4,850 | 1.41 | $134,280 | $86,540 | $207,490 | -1% |
| Computer Network Architects | 2,460 | 6.73 | $130,980 | $98,650 | $198,220 | -2% |
| Information Security Analysts | 1,000 | 2.59 | $130,880 | $92,230 | $177,330 | +1% |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 760 | 0.72 | $128,740 | $78,980 | $209,620 | +22% |
| Data Scientists | 580 | 1.08 | $127,600 | $75,300 | $195,270 | +6% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 1,050 | 0.86 | $125,210 | $80,470 | $213,900 | +1% |
| General and Operations Managers | 4,580 | 0.64 | $120,770 | $62,140 | $294,690 | +14% |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | 850 | 4.31 | $119,330 | $86,080 | $190,420 | -8% |
| Electrical Engineers | 540 | 1.33 | $118,250 | $86,020 | $168,590 | -2% |
| Management Analysts | 1,270 | 0.69 | $117,850 | $74,830 | $165,530 | +16% |
| Construction Managers | 1,210 | 1.57 | $112,390 | $75,690 | $171,040 | -2% |
| Project Management Specialists | 3,200 | 1.48 | $111,740 | $65,820 | $169,840 | +9% |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | 1,680 | 1.90 | $110,090 | $42,900 | $162,090 | -6% |
| Mechanical Engineers | 500 | 0.83 | $109,370 | $76,700 | $164,820 | +5% |
These figures are for the whole Colorado Springs, CO metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $52,710 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.5% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 33.4% |
| Retail trade | 19.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 12.5% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 8.4% |
| Public administration | 8.2% |
| Other services | 7.5% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 2.2% |
| Manufacturing | 2.2% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 1.9% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.5% |
| Construction | 1.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 0.9% |
| Information | 0.8% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Fort Carson lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso County | 742,999 | $55,117 million | $74,182 | 309,483 | 25,331 | $67,491 | +0.7% | 4.6% | 375,476 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 41,206 | 16.3% | $60,742 | 0.93 |
| Professional and technical services | 33,785 | 13.4% | $118,785 | 1.57 |
| Accommodation and food services | 33,655 | 13.3% | $29,560 | 1.20 |
| Retail trade | 32,244 | 12.7% | $41,234 | 1.04 |
| Construction | 17,737 | 7.0% | $72,682 | 1.09 |
| Administrative and waste services | 16,022 | 6.3% | $54,577 | 0.88 |
| Finance and insurance | 13,131 | 5.2% | $93,655 | 1.05 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 12,219 | 4.8% | $57,788 | 1.31 |
| Manufacturing | 12,121 | 4.8% | $79,229 | 0.48 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 10,351 | 4.1% | $45,468 | 0.79 |
| Wholesale trade | 6,630 | 2.6% | $88,336 | 0.54 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 5,959 | 2.4% | $29,020 | 1.15 |
| Real estate and rental | 5,176 | 2.0% | $59,743 | 1.08 |
| Information | 4,810 | 1.9% | $102,780 | 0.83 |
| Educational services | 4,582 | 1.8% | $45,574 | 0.72 |
| Management of companies | 2,395 | 0.9% | $220,377 | 0.46 |
| Utilities | 464 | 0.2% | $149,223 | 0.39 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 423 | 0.2% | $43,650 | 0.17 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 62 | 0.0% | $199,424 | 0.05 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 53.7% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 25.7% |
| Work from home | 1.6% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 2.7% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,237 |
| Income per person | $27,674 |
| Median gross rent per month | $2,180 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 39.5% |
| Median home value | n/a |
| Homeowners | n/a |
| Poverty rate | 15.3% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 100.7 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $52,710 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 4.40%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 22.3 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 99.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 25.6% |
| Born abroad | 4.8% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 17.1% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -1.5 | 29 | 14 |
| Feb | -0.8 | 31 | 17 |
| Mar | 3.9 | 39 | 24 |
| Apr | 7.8 | 46 | 39 |
| May | 13.2 | 56 | 45 |
| Jun | 19.9 | 68 | 30 |
| Jul | 22.4 | 72 | 69 |
| Aug | 20.6 | 69 | 56 |
| Sep | 16.4 | 62 | 32 |
| Oct | 9.1 | 48 | 23 |
| Nov | 3.2 | 38 | 13 |
| Dec | -1.8 | 29 | 15 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fountain | CO | 4 mi | 29,300 | $86,242 | $1,745 |
| Security-Widefield | CO | 5 mi | 37,345 | $91,142 | $1,793 |
| Cimarron Hills | CO | 12 mi | 19,817 | $80,808 | $1,664 |
| Colorado Springs | CO | 12 mi | 487,887 | $84,818 | $1,648 |
| Pueblo West | CO | 26 mi | 35,681 | $96,810 | $1,345 |
| Black Forest | CO | 26 mi | 15,738 | $145,460 | n/a |
| Monument | CO | 27 mi | 11,735 | $128,816 | $1,929 |
| Woodmoor | CO | 29 mi | 8,934 | $171,875 | $2,276 |
| Pueblo | CO | 30 mi | 111,561 | $56,664 | $1,082 |
| Cañon City | CO | 31 mi | 17,122 | $64,787 | $997 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
18,019 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$2,180 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 39.5% of the median household income.
$66,237 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.6% (BLS county, El Paso County (latest month 2026M09)).
Colorado. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.