Highest-paying jobs in Colorado
The highest published median in Colorado is for orthodontists, at $416,000 a year. For 4 more occupations, BLS reports the median only as “$239,200 or more”; they are listed below the table. The median for all occupations in the state is $59,800, against $50,980 nationally.
Colorado · all occupationsMay 2025
- Median / yr
- $59,800
- Mean / yr
- $77,190
- Price level (U.S.=100)
- 103.1
- Median, price-adjusted
- $58,029
- Adjusted rank
- 6 of 51
- Jobs
- 2,873,900
Price-adjusted = median ÷ (BEA 2024 regional price parity ÷ 100). Compare all states.
The 50 best-paid occupations in Colorado
CO · Src BLS-OEWS · May 2025Top 50 of 734
| No. | Occupation | Median in CO | U.S. median | Employed in CO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orthodontists | $416,000 | $289,140 | 160 |
| 2 | Dermatologists | $398,810 | $328,730 | 260 |
| 3 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $385,410 | $358,550 | 410 |
| 4 | Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons | $360,820 | $352,220 | — |
| 5 | Neurologists | $356,250 | $248,560 | 120 |
| 6 | Radiologists | $344,270 | $420,860 | 500 |
| 7 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $307,490 | $232,140 | 5,830 |
| 8 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $299,990 | $256,560 | 450 |
| 9 | Physicians, All Other | $298,320 | $265,930 | 1,990 |
| 10 | Physicians, Pathologists | $294,510 | $312,400 | 50 |
| 11 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $288,050 | $300,080 | 100 |
| 12 | Psychiatrists | $266,370 | $281,870 | 270 |
| 13 | Family Medicine Physicians | $265,560 | $244,180 | 2,700 |
| 14 | Chief Executives | $213,370 | $213,990 | — |
| 15 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $199,420 | $175,140 | 11,510 |
| 16 | Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $198,790 | $153,990 | 620 |
| 17 | Pediatricians, General | $196,440 | $210,040 | 570 |
| 18 | Dentists, All Other Specialists | $186,640 | $224,990 | 70 |
| 19 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $183,810 | $171,270 | 4,900 |
| 20 | Marketing Managers | $182,730 | $166,790 | 6,010 |
| 21 | Financial Managers | $182,690 | $166,570 | 10,640 |
| 22 | Sales Managers | $180,850 | $148,270 | 8,780 |
| 23 | Air Traffic Controllers | $177,380 | $148,080 | 740 |
| 24 | Petroleum Engineers | $172,190 | $144,910 | 1,390 |
| 25 | Purchasing Managers | $171,250 | $148,080 | 1,320 |
| 26 | Managers, All Other | $171,140 | $141,900 | 14,060 |
| 27 | Lawyers | $168,520 | $159,670 | 16,720 |
| 28 | Human Resources Managers | $166,400 | $149,280 | 3,620 |
| 29 | Dentists, General | $166,240 | $170,950 | 2,940 |
| 30 | Compensation and Benefits Managers | $165,770 | $149,230 | 280 |
| 31 | Advertising and Promotions Managers | $164,990 | $133,660 | 180 |
| 32 | Public Relations Managers | $162,870 | $146,910 | — |
| 33 | Administrative Services Managers | $157,000 | $114,130 | 2,340 |
| 34 | Aerospace Engineers | $156,190 | $134,960 | 4,070 |
| 35 | Computer Hardware Engineers | $156,080 | $161,740 | 2,660 |
| 36 | Pharmacists | $156,030 | $140,910 | 4,560 |
| 37 | Database Architects | $154,560 | $139,500 | 1,950 |
| 38 | Natural Sciences Managers | $152,730 | $167,220 | 1,640 |
| 39 | Optometrists | $152,000 | $136,570 | 880 |
| 40 | Podiatrists | $142,620 | $160,300 | 150 |
| 41 | Industrial Production Managers | $141,020 | $126,060 | 1,730 |
| 42 | Sales Engineers | $139,990 | $124,900 | 2,800 |
| 43 | Training and Development Managers | $139,980 | $133,000 | 850 |
| 44 | Commercial Pilots | $139,680 | $123,220 | 1,240 |
| 45 | Computer Occupations, All Other | $139,580 | $116,580 | 11,800 |
| 46 | Computer Network Architects | $139,230 | $134,050 | 16,380 |
| 47 | Software Developers | $138,390 | $135,980 | 43,320 |
| 48 | Nurse Midwives | $137,610 | $134,040 | 180 |
| 49 | Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $136,930 | $107,310 | 7,800 |
| 50 | Information Security Analysts | $135,220 | $129,180 | 5,700 |
Median reported only as “$239,200 or more” in Colorado: Cardiologists, Surgeons, All Other, Emergency Medicine Physicians, Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The exact figures are not published, so these are not ranked.
Dashes mean the employment estimate was not published.
Best-paid occupations with at least 1,000 jobs in Colorado
- Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers — $307,490 (5,830 jobs)
- Physicians, All Other — $298,320 (1,990 jobs)
- Family Medicine Physicians — $265,560 (2,700 jobs)
- Computer and Information Systems Managers — $199,420 (11,510 jobs)
- Architectural and Engineering Managers — $183,810 (4,900 jobs)
- Marketing Managers — $182,730 (6,010 jobs)
- Financial Managers — $182,690 (10,640 jobs)
- Sales Managers — $180,850 (8,780 jobs)
- Petroleum Engineers — $172,190 (1,390 jobs)
- Purchasing Managers — $171,250 (1,320 jobs)
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state file.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024.