Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a high school teacher make in Denver-Aurora, CO?

In the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metropolitan area, high school teachers earned a median of $79,230 a year in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 9,070 of these jobs there. That is 27% above the $62,320 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $51,860 and $102,070; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Colorado tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $61,791 in take-home pay.

High school teacher pay in Denver-Aurora, CO at a glance

Median salary

$79,230$6,603 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$51,860—
25th percentile$63,130—
75th percentile$98,460—
90th percentile$102,070—
Jobs in this metro9,070Location quotient 0.82 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here27% aboveAll-jobs median $62,320
Against Colorado9% aboveStatewide median $72,900
Against the U.S.10% aboveNational median $72,040

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

High school teacher salary in Denver-Aurora, CO after taxes

$79,230
$30,000$160,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$79,230
Net 78%
Fed 11%
CO 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$61,791After all taxes
Monthly deposit$5,149Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$2,377Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate22%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$8,601 / yr
Colorado state income tax$2,778 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$6,061 / yr

High school teachers pay range in Denver-Aurora, CO, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What high school teachers earned in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CO)
10th percentile—$4,322$51,860$42,276
25th percentile—$5,261$63,130$50,836
MedianMedian—$6,603$79,230$61,791
75th percentile—$8,205$98,460$74,473
90th percentile—$8,506$102,070$76,854

Is $79,230 a good salary in Denver-Aurora, CO?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for high school teachers next to both.

Median household income$105,762Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)105.85.8% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household74.9%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

High school teacher pay in Denver-Aurora, CO: common questions

What is the median salary for high school teachers in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO?

The BLS median annual wage for high school teachers in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area was $79,230 in May 2025, about $6,603 a month. Statewide, the Colorado median for this job is $72,900, so the metro pays 9% above the state.

Is there an hourly rate for high school teachers in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO?

BLS publishes pay for this job as an annual salary only, because the hours worked in a year vary too much to state a meaningful hourly rate.

How many high school teachers work in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO?

BLS estimated 9,070 jobs for high school teachers in the metro in May 2025, or 5.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.82 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for high school teachers in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO?

BLS wage estimates for high school teachers in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO run from $51,860 at the 10th percentile to $63,130 at the 25th, $98,460 at the 75th, and $102,070 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do high school teachers take home after taxes in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO?

On a median gross salary of $79,230, an estimated $61,791 lands in net take-home pay per year ($2,377 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Colorado in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $17,439 (an effective rate of 22%).

How much do high school teachers make per month in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO?

On the median annual salary of $79,230, gross monthly income is $6,603. After federal, FICA, and Colorado state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $5,149 per month (or $2,377 every two weeks).

Is $79,230 a good salary in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO?

At $79,230, the median salary for high school teachers is 74.9% of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO median household income ($105,762). It is 27% above the $62,320 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 105.8, so prices here run 5.8% above the U.S. average.