Ranked by median pay, with jobs and rent share; from BLS and Census data.
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.
7 metro areas in Colorado publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 36,120 jobs. The three largest employers of general and operations managers are Denver-Aurora-Centennial (22,940 jobs), Colorado Springs (4,580 jobs), Boulder (2,750 jobs), which hold 83.8% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $105,770 to $152,100 a year, against $131,840 for the whole state and $105,770 for the whole country.
BLS reports a national median of $105,770 a year for general and operations managers (the lowest-paid tenth earn under $50,090 and the highest-paid tenth over $253,390). Employment is projected to change by +5.0% between 2025 and 2035, with about 285,000 openings a year including replacements. The typical entry route is: Bachelor's degree. Education requirements are BLS's typical ones, not legal rules; many states also license this work, so check the state board before applying.
Higher pay is not the whole story: look at the rent share column (yearly rent divided by median pay) and the price level (100 is the national average). A metro with a lower salary but cheaper housing can leave more money at the end of the month. The location quotient shows where the occupation is concentrated; employers cluster where it is above 1, which usually means more openings and more competition among employers for the same skills.
General and operations managers in Colorado: the highest median pay is in the Boulder, CO area ($152,100 a year); the most jobs are in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO area (22,940). Statewide the median is $131,840 with 41,870 jobs. Metro areas with at least 100 jobs in this occupation are listed; click a column to sort.
| Metropolitan area ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Yearly rent as % of median pay ⇅ | Price level (US = 100) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder, CO | 2,750 | $152,100 | $70,760 | $344,870 | 0.63 | 16% | 105.2 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 22,940 | $142,330 | $73,490 | $313,870 | 0.63 | 16% | 105.8 |
| Greeley, CO | 1,660 | $123,100 | $62,870 | $269,320 | 0.62 | 15% | 100.2 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 4,580 | $120,770 | $62,140 | $294,690 | 0.64 | 17% | 100.7 |
| Pueblo, CO | 710 | $114,360 | $59,990 | $219,320 | 0.51 | 12% | 91.8 |
| Grand Junction, CO | 970 | $107,130 | $57,490 | $239,020 | 0.64 | 13% | 95.5 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | 2,510 | $105,770 | $61,700 | $236,850 | 0.66 | 19% | 101.1 |
National page: General and operations managers →Cities of Colorado
Rent uses the metro median gross rent (ACS) and appears only for metros that contain a city of this guide. "n/a" means BLS suppressed the figure or we have no rent for that metro.
In the Boulder, CO area, with a median of $152,100 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO area, with 22,940 jobs.