Denver Paycheck Calculator (2026)
Denver has no local income tax — just a $5.75 per month Occupational Privilege Tax if you earn $500+ in a month.
Updated October 2026
| Rate | Income in bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $38,000 | $4,560 |
| 22% | $850 | $187 |
The calculator above covers federal, FICA and Colorado tax. Denver’s local tax is $69 on a $75,000 salary — add it under Custom rate, or read the exact figures in the tables below.
How Denver taxes your paycheck
Denver's Occupational Privilege Tax, often called the head tax, is a flat dollar amount rather than a percentage: $5.75 a month from the employee and $4.00 from the employer, for any month in which you earn at least $500 in the city. It is $69 a year no matter what you earn, so it barely registers on a normal salary — but it does show up as a line on your payslip and surprises people.
Rate source: City and County of Denver Treasury Division. Verified for the 2026 filing year.
Denver local tax at a glance
| Salary | Local tax | Effective local rate | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $69 | 0.17% | $5.75 |
| $50,000 | $69 | 0.14% | $5.75 |
| $60,000 | $69 | 0.11% | $5.75 |
| $75,000 | $69 | 0.09% | $5.75 |
| $100,000 | $69 | 0.07% | $5.75 |
| $150,000 | $69 | 0.05% | $5.75 |
A flat $5.75 a month once you earn $500 in a month — $69.00 a year regardless of salary.
Denver take-home pay by salary (2026)
Annual take-home for a Denver resident with no 401(k) or health deductions, after federal tax, FICA, Colorado income tax, and local tax:
| Gross salary | Take-home (single) | Monthly | Biweekly | Married (one income) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $33,199 | $2,767 | $1,276.90 | $35,748 |
| $50,000 | $40,794 | $3,400 | $1,569.02 | $43,543 |
| $60,000 | $48,389 | $4,032 | $1,861.13 | $51,278 |
| $75,000 | $58,932 | $4,911 | $2,266.61 | $62,670 |
| $100,000 | $75,419 | $6,285 | $2,900.75 | $81,658 |
| $150,000 | $107,830 | $8,986 | $4,147.32 | $117,933 |
Where a $75,000 Denver paycheck actually goes
| Item | Amount | % of gross |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $75,000 | 100% |
| Federal income tax | −$7,670 | 10.2% |
| Social Security & Medicare | −$5,738 | 7.6% |
| Colorado income tax | −$2,592 | 3.5% |
| Denver local tax | −$69 | 0.09% |
| Take-home | $58,932 | 78.6% |
The local line is the one nobody budgets for when comparing offers: $69 a year is $5.75 out of every month, and it is rarely mentioned in a salary negotiation.
Denver compared with other cities
Take-home on the same $75,000 single salary, so the only thing changing is state and local tax:
| City | Take-home on $75,000 | vs Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Denver, CO | $58,932 | — |
| New York City, NY | $55,600 | −$3,331 |
| Yonkers, NY | $57,483 | −$1,449 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $56,478 | −$2,454 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $57,040 | −$1,892 |
| Columbus, OH | $58,371 | −$561 |
| Cleveland, OH | $58,371 | −$561 |
A no-income-tax state like Texas or Florida would leave about $61,593 from the same salary — $2,661 more than Denver. That gap is real, but so is the cost of living on either side of it, which is why the honest comparison is always take-home relative to rent, not take-home alone.
Hourly work in Denver
Common hourly rates at 40 hours a week, after all taxes including local tax:
| Hourly rate | Gross per year | Take-home per year | Take-home biweekly |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15/hour | $31,200 | $26,516 | $1,019.84 |
| $18/hour | $37,440 | $31,255 | $1,202.12 |
| $20/hour | $41,600 | $34,415 | $1,323.64 |
| $25/hour | $52,000 | $42,313 | $1,627.44 |
| $30/hour | $62,400 | $50,212 | $1,931.24 |
| $35/hour | $72,800 | $57,481 | $2,210.81 |
| $40/hour | $83,200 | $64,340 | $2,474.61 |
| $50/hour | $104,000 | $78,057 | $3,002.21 |
Frequently asked questions
Does Denver have a city income tax?
Yes. Denver has no local income tax — just a $5.75 per month Occupational Privilege Tax if you earn $500+ in a month. Denver's Occupational Privilege Tax, often called the head tax, is a flat dollar amount rather than a percentage: $5.75 a month from the employee and $4.00 from the employer, for any month in which you earn at least $500 in the city. It is $69 a year no matter what you earn, so it barely registers on a normal salary — but it does show up as a line on your payslip and surprises people.
How much is $75,000 after taxes in Denver?
About $58,932 a year — roughly $4,911 a month or $2,266.61 biweekly — for a single filer with no 401(k) or health deductions. That is federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, Colorado income tax, and $69 of Denver local tax. The overall effective rate is 21.4%.
What is the Denver local tax rate?
A flat $5.75 a month once you earn $500 in a month — $69.00 a year regardless of salary. On a $75,000 salary that works out to $69 a year (0.09% of gross); on $150,000 it is $69 (0.05%). Rate published by the City and County of Denver Treasury Division.
Is take-home pay in Denver better or worse than elsewhere in Colorado?
Worse, by the amount of the local tax. A $75,000 earner elsewhere in Colorado with no municipal tax keeps about $59,001; in Denver it is $58,932, a difference of roughly $69 a year.
How accurate is this calculator?
Federal tax and FICA use the exact 2026 IRS formulas with the standard deduction. Colorado tax comes from the state's own brackets and deduction. The Denver figure uses the published rate from the City and County of Denver Treasury Division. Local rates change more often than state ones — check your latest payslip if the number looks off. Credits, local exemptions and pre-tax benefits beyond the ones you enter are not modelled.
More for Colorado
The Colorado paycheck calculator covers the state-level rules, brackets and bonus withholding in full, and these other cities in the state have their own local taxes:
Salary breakdowns for Colorado
$50,000 in Colorado$60,000 in Colorado$75,000 in Colorado$80,000 in Colorado$100,000 in Colorado$120,000 in Colorado$150,000 in Colorado$60,000 a year$75,000 a year$100,000 a year
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