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Boulder, CO metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a human resources specialist make in Boulder, CO?

In the Boulder, CO metropolitan area, human resources specialists earned a median of $86,200 a year ($41.44 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,480 of these jobs there. That is 24% above the $69,580 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $56,420 and $159,370; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Colorado tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $66,387 in take-home pay.

Human resources specialist pay in Boulder, CO at a glance

Median salary

$86,200$41.44 per hour · $7,183 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$56,420$27.12/hr
25th percentile$66,810$32.12/hr
75th percentile$124,990$60.09/hr
90th percentile$159,370$76.62/hr
Jobs in this metro1,480Location quotient 1.31 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here24% aboveAll-jobs median $69,580
Against Colorado7% aboveStatewide median $80,840
Against the U.S.14% aboveNational median $75,940

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

Take-home payWhat $86,000 a year leaves after tax in ColoradoFederal tax, FICA and Colorado withholding on that salary, with the other 49 states beside it.
By the hour$41 an hour is how much a yearWeekly, biweekly and monthly gross at 2,080 hours, plus time and a half.
HousingWhat a $86,000 salary buys at today's ratesPrice range, down payment and the monthly payment behind it, on current mortgage rates.
Local pricesWhat $86,000 is worth where you liveRent, groceries and the local price level against the national average.
Same stateEvery occupation Colorado publishes a wage forThe biggest employers, the best paid, and what is distinctive about Colorado.

Human resources specialist salary in Boulder, CO after taxes

$86,200
$30,000$175,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$86,200
Net 77%
Fed 12%
CO 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$66,387After all taxes
Monthly deposit$5,532Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$2,553Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate23%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$10,134 / yr
Colorado state income tax$3,084 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$6,594 / yr
Customize deductions in full Colorado calculator

Human resources specialists pay range in Boulder, CO, hourly and yearly

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

What human resources specialists earned in the Boulder, CO metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CO)
10th percentile$27.12/hr$4,702$56,420$45,739
25th percentile$32.12/hr$5,568$66,810$53,600
MedianMedian$41.44/hr$7,183$86,200$66,387
75th percentile$60.09/hr$10,416$124,990$91,906
90th percentile$76.62/hr$13,281$159,370$113,892

Is $86,200 a good salary in Boulder, CO?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for human resources specialists next to both.

Median household income$103,994Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)105.25.2% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household82.9%of area median income

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

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Human resources specialists pay in other Colorado metros

Metros in the same state that are closest in size to Boulder, CO. A statewide average can hide differences this large.

Human resources specialist pay in Boulder, CO: common questions

What is the median salary for human resources specialists in Boulder, CO?

The BLS median annual wage for human resources specialists in the Boulder, CO metro area was $86,200 in May 2025, about $7,183 a month or $41.44 an hour. Statewide, the Colorado median for this job is $80,840, so the metro pays 7% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for human resources specialists in Boulder, CO?

The median hourly wage for human resources specialists in Boulder, CO was $41.44 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $27.12 an hour and one in ten earned more than $76.62.

How many human resources specialists work in Boulder, CO?

BLS estimated 1,480 jobs for human resources specialists in the metro in May 2025, or 7.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.31 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for human resources specialists in Boulder, CO?

BLS wage estimates for human resources specialists in Boulder, CO run from $56,420 at the 10th percentile to $66,810 at the 25th, $124,990 at the 75th, and $159,370 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do human resources specialists take home after taxes in Boulder, CO?

On a median gross salary of $86,200, an estimated $66,387 lands in net take-home pay per year ($2,553 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Colorado in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $19,813 (an effective rate of 23%).

How much do human resources specialists make per month in Boulder, CO?

On the median annual salary of $86,200, gross monthly income is $7,183. After federal, FICA, and Colorado state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $5,532 per month (or $2,553 every two weeks).

Is $86,200 a good salary in Boulder, CO?

At $86,200, the median salary for human resources specialists is 82.9% of the Boulder, CO median household income ($103,994). It is 24% above the $69,580 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 105.2, so prices here run 5.2% above the U.S. average.