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.
6 metro areas in Colorado publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 45,880 jobs. The three largest employers of registered nurses are Denver-Aurora-Centennial (30,380 jobs), Colorado Springs (6,800 jobs), Boulder (3,140 jobs), which hold 87.9% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $95,720 to $103,290 a year, against $100,260 for the whole state and $97,550 for the whole country.
BLS reports a national median of $97,550 a year for registered nurses (the lowest-paid tenth earn under $68,940 and the highest-paid tenth over $137,470). Employment is projected to change by +5.6% between 2025 and 2035, with about 180,800 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.
Registered nurses in Colorado: the highest median pay is in the Boulder, CO area ($103,290 a year); the most jobs are in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO area (30,380). Statewide the median is $100,260 with 54,490 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 | 3,140 | $103,290 | $84,530 | $128,260 | 0.75 | 23% | 105.2 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 30,380 | $101,130 | $81,210 | $125,870 | 0.87 | 22% | 105.8 |
| Greeley, CO | 1,390 | $96,300 | $75,960 | $119,490 | 0.54 | 19% | 100.2 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 6,800 | $96,140 | $77,460 | $123,250 | 0.99 | 21% | 100.7 |
| Grand Junction, CO | 2,130 | $95,990 | $78,050 | $123,500 | 1.46 | 15% | 95.5 |
| Pueblo, CO | 2,040 | $95,720 | $78,050 | $120,110 | 1.52 | 14% | 91.8 |
National page: Registered nurses →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 $103,290 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO area, with 30,380 jobs.