BLS - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

09/16/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/16/2025 09:33

County Employment and Wages in Colorado — First Quarter 2025

News Release Information

25-1433-KAN
Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (816) 285-7000

County Employment and Wages in Colorado - First Quarter 2025

Employment increased in 5 of the 9 largest counties in Colorado from March 2024 to March 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Michael Hirniak noted that Weld County had the largest over-the-year increase in employment, with a gain of 2.6 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

View Chart Data
Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest counties in Colorado, March 2025
County Percent change, March 2025

Weld

2.6

Adams

1.6

Douglas

1.0

Jefferson

0.2

Arapahoe

0.1

El Paso

0.0

Larimer

-0.5

Boulder

-0.9

Denver

-1.0

Among the nine largest counties in Colorado, employment was highest in Denver (555,300) in March 2025. Together, the nine largest counties accounted for 80.8 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 372 largest counties comprise 73.4 percent of total covered employment in the United States. (Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2024.)

Large county average weekly wages in the first quarter 2025

All nine large Colorado counties reported average weekly wage increases over the year. (See chart 2.) Over-the-year wage gains in 6 of the 9 large Colorado counties were higher than the national average of 4.1 percent. Larimer had the largest increase (+6.2 percent). Over-the-year wage changes for Colorado's eight other large counties ranged from 5.0 percent to 3.4 percent.

View Chart Data
Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Colorado, first quarter 2025
County Percent change, first quarter 2025

Larimer

6.2

Boulder

5.0

Denver

5.0

Douglas

4.8

Jefferson

4.4

El Paso

4.1

Arapahoe

3.8

Weld

3.5

Adams

3.4

Weekly wages in 5 of the 9 largest counties in Colorado were above the national average of $1,589. Average weekly wages ranged from $2,244 in Denver to $1,369 in El Paso.

Smaller county average weekly wages in the first quarter of 2025

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 55 small counties in Colorado, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in 54 of the 55 smaller counties were below the national average. Broomfield reported the highest average weekly wage ($2,308). Hinsdale reported the lowest average weekly wage ($672) in the state.

Among all 64 Colorado counties, 21 reported average weekly wages of $949 or lower, 17 registered wages from $950 to $1,099, 10 had wages from $1,100 to $1,249, and 16 had average weekly wages of $1,250 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)

Map 1: Average weekly wages by county in Colorado, first quarter 2025

(U.S. average = $1,589)

Additional statistics and other information

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.

Nationwide coverage of the largest counties is published in the County Employment and Wages news release. Additional information about quarterly employment and wages data is available in the news release Technical Note and from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

The County Employment and Wages release for the second quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.

County Changes for the 2025 County Employment and Wages News Releases

Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2024 are included in this release and will be included in future 2025 releases. Four counties have been added to the nationwide publication tables: Pinal, AZ; Henry, GA; Wood, OH; and Comal, TX. One county has been dropped from the publication tables: Gregg, TX.

Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and the nine largest counties in Colorado, first quarter 2025
Area Establishments,
first quarter
(thousands) 		Employment Average weekly wage (1)
March 2025
(thousands) 		Percent change,
March
2024-25 (2) 		National ranking
by percent change (3) 		First quarter
2025 ($) 		National ranking
by level (3) 		Percent change,
first quarter
2024-25 (2) 		National ranking
by percent change (3)

United States (4)

12,249.3 154,523.8 0.4 -- 1,589 -- 4.1 --

Colorado

242.4 2,862.7 0.1 -- 1,681 8 4.2 13

Adams

13.9 247.1 1.6 32 1,427 137 3.4 167

Arapahoe

25.6 336.7 0.1 209 1,846 38 3.8 132

Boulder

18.2 189.8 -0.9 329 2,035 24 5.0 61

Denver

41.7 555.3 -1.0 338 2,244 16 5.0 61

Douglas

15.8 146.5 1.0 82 1,826 39 4.8 67

El Paso

24.6 303.9 0.0 222 1,369 173 4.1 107

Jefferson

24.4 244.6 0.2 189 1,628 75 4.4 88

Larimer

15.0 167.8 -0.5 287 1,458 129 6.2 25

Weld

9.5 121.9 2.6 8 1,373 170 3.5 153

(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Percent changes were computed from employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications.
(3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 2. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the United States and all counties in Colorado, first quarter 2025
Area Establishments Employment March 2025 Average weekly wage ($) (1)

United States (2)

12,249,320 154,523,785 1,589

Colorado

242,446 2,862,747 1,681

Adams

13,855 247,059 1,427

Alamosa

613 8,188 958

Arapahoe

25,619 336,736 1,846

Archuleta

671 4,785 968

Baca

119 1,121 753

Bent

94 1,163 907

Boulder

18,194 189,821 2,035

Broomfield

3,471 39,970 2,308

Chaffee

1,228 9,075 1,017

Cheyenne

93 718 1,077

Clear Creek

387 3,521 1,274

Conejos

195 1,557 799

Costilla

115 925 751

Crowley

72 1,137 1,118

Custer

203 977 908

Delta

1,018 8,671 934

Denver

41,742 555,257 2,244

Dolores

96 545 723

Douglas

15,762 146,517 1,826

Eagle

3,828 36,912 1,256

Elbert

864 4,934 1,200

El Paso

24,598 303,859 1,369

Fremont

1,086 14,358 1,106

Garfield

2,971 27,227 1,273

Gilpin

227 4,717 1,226

Grand

977 8,415 1,020

Gunnison

1,309 9,674 1,019

Hinsdale

75 264 672

Huerfano

195 1,851 881

Jackson

91 544 901

Jefferson

24,432 244,633 1,628

Kiowa

51 483 800

Kit Carson

318 3,010 969

Lake

287 3,028 1,277

La Plata

3,038 26,449 1,173

Larimer

14,960 167,753 1,458

Las Animas

559 4,610 888

Lincoln

167 2,214 1,024

Logan

636 7,747 998

Mesa

5,580 66,340 1,119

Mineral

83 721 906

Moffat

460 4,492 1,157

Montezuma

997 9,140 888

Montrose

1,717 17,233 1,013

Morgan

872 13,137 1,100

Otero

500 6,072 900

Ouray

376 2,010 971

Park

673 2,939 1,072

Phillips

186 1,726 959

Pitkin

2,008 19,419 1,537

Prowers

391 4,803 892

Pueblo

3,766 61,434 1,094

Rio Blanco

263 2,828 1,264

Rio Grande

488 4,247 933

Routt

2,064 17,033 1,202

Saguache

229 1,690 790

San Juan

94 415 794

San Miguel

781 6,753 1,149

Sedgwick

93 728 844

Summit

2,449 24,851 1,090

Teller

1,037 8,015 1,070

Washington

151 1,241 836

Weld

9,487 121,905 1,373

Yuma

423 3,969 950

(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

Table 3. Covered establishments, employment, and wages by state, first quarter 2025
State Establishments,
first quarter
(thousands) 		Employment Average weekly wage (1)
March 2025
(thousands) 		Percent change,
March
2024-25 		First quarter
2025 ($) 		National ranking
by level 		Percent change,
first quarter
2024-25 		National ranking
by percent change

United States (2)

12,249.3 154,523.8 0.4 1,589 -- 4.1 --

Alabama

163.3 2,102.3 0.3 1,245 39 3.8 23

Alaska

25.3 323.5 1.3 1,452 20 5.8 4

Arizona

226.1 3,259.3 0.3 1,431 21 3.8 23

Arkansas

107.6 1,304.4 0.7 1,236 40 5.6 6

California

1,945.4 18,066.2 0.1 1,905 6 4.2 13

Colorado

242.4 2,862.7 0.1 1,681 8 4.2 13

Connecticut

148.5 1,671.7 0.5 1,980 4 3.8 23

Delaware

45.4 474.3 0.8 1,535 15 3.4 30

District of Columbia

51.5 748.9 -1.4 2,606 1 7.2 1

Florida

886.5 9,958.4 0.9 1,456 19 5.1 8

Georgia

394.8 4,860.7 0.4 1,491 17 3.4 30

Hawaii

60.3 644.8 0.6 1,363 27 6.7 2

Idaho

102.7 848.2 1.2 1,178 48 4.2 13

Illinois

407.1 5,988.9 0.2 1,662 9 3.2 38

Indiana

194.8 3,161.4 0.3 1,323 30 4.2 13

Iowa

111.3 1,537.7 -0.5 1,253 36 3.2 38

Kansas

104.3 1,428.0 0.8 1,246 38 4.0 19

Kentucky

159.6 1,986.3 0.0 1,213 44 2.4 51

Louisiana

157.0 1,921.2 0.5 1,227 42 2.8 49

Maine

66.6 629.6 0.1 1,283 34 2.7 50

Maryland

197.7 2,739.0 -0.2 1,634 10 3.2 38

Massachusetts

289.8 3,575.8 -0.7 2,107 3 4.6 11

Michigan

307.3 4,337.3 -0.3 1,391 24 2.9 48

Minnesota

211.8 2,878.6 -0.1 1,570 14 3.7 27

Mississippi

91.3 1,160.4 -0.4 1,018 51 4.1 17

Missouri

252.4 2,886.9 0.1 1,310 31 3.2 38

Montana

67.1 505.8 0.6 1,189 46 5.6 6

Nebraska

78.6 1,008.4 -0.1 1,231 41 3.1 42

Nevada

106.1 1,541.2 0.2 1,359 29 4.1 17

New Hampshire

66.3 681.0 0.1 1,606 11 4.8 9

New Jersey

338.9 4,259.0 1.1 1,815 7 3.0 44

New Mexico

66.8 868.2 0.3 1,203 45 3.9 22

New York

716.1 9,757.0 1.4 2,213 2 6.2 3

North Carolina

373.2 4,888.5 0.2 1,467 18 4.8 9

North Dakota

36.4 422.8 0.6 1,302 33 3.3 34

Ohio

344.2 5,466.8 0.2 1,361 28 3.5 28

Oklahoma

130.9 1,700.2 0.5 1,186 47 3.0 44

Oregon

186.2 1,965.7 -0.8 1,420 23 3.3 34

Pennsylvania

394.5 6,003.5 0.6 1,500 16 3.5 28

Rhode Island

49.0 489.3 1.0 1,429 22 3.0 44

South Carolina

198.7 2,304.9 1.7 1,247 37 4.4 12

South Dakota

40.5 450.5 0.2 1,163 49 3.0 44

Tennessee

221.0 3,251.5 -0.4 1,364 26 4.0 19

Texas

847.6 14,015.9 1.2 1,587 13 3.1 42

Utah

138.1 1,720.5 1.1 1,365 25 4.0 19

Vermont

33.5 306.8 -0.4 1,280 35 3.8 23

Virginia

321.9 4,108.8 0.8 1,605 12 3.4 30

Washington

240.9 3,583.7 0.9 1,935 5 5.8 4

West Virginia

61.9 694.6 0.0 1,149 50 3.3 34

Wisconsin

208.9 2,898.4 -0.2 1,305 32 3.4 30

Wyoming

31.0 274.6 0.0 1,216 43 3.3 34

Puerto Rico

52.0 946.1 -0.7 699 (3) 3.2 (3)

Virgin Islands

2.9 33.8 -7.5 1,034 (3) 2.7 (3)

(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(3) Data not included in the national ranking.

Note: Data are preliminary. Dashes indicate data not applicable or available. Covered employment and wages include workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.

BLS - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics published this content on September 16, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 16, 2025 at 15:34 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]