Travel Nurse Pay in Colorado
Discover average travel nurse pay rates, stipends, and take-home calculations for Colorado. Use our free calculator below to estimate your earnings.
Data reviewed July 3, 2026 · 50 states, 221 cities, FY2026 GSA rates
Pay figures on this page are our own editorial estimates, reviewed July 31, 2026 — not survey or government wage data. How we produce these numbers.
Calculate Your Pay in Colorado
Use our calculator to estimate your take-home pay in Colorado, including cost of living analysis to see your true discretionary income.
Travel Nurse Pay Breakdown
Estimate your take-home pay, taxes, and blended rate in seconds.
Federal tax applies to wages after the $16,100 standard deduction; FICA applies to all wages. Tax-free stipends are excluded from both.
Same-state assignment — you file one resident return in your home state.
State income tax not included
We do not yet have a sourced bracket schedule for this state, so we are not estimating its income tax. A wrong state figure is worse than none. Federal and FICA figures above are complete and sourced; your true net pay will be lower than gross by more than the amounts shown, so the take-home figures on this page are labelled "before state tax" rather than presented as final net pay.
Overtime (Optional)
Blended Hourly Rate
$112.03
Based on 36 hours in CO.
Gross Weekly Pay
$4,033
Taxable Weekly Income
$1,800
Estimated Weekly Taxes
$364
Federal + FICA only; state income tax not included
Net Before State Tax
$3,669
After federal + FICA; your state tax will lower this
Assignment Projections
13-Week Assignment
$47,698
Net before state tax
26-Week Assignment
$95,397
Net before state tax
Annual (52 weeks)
$190,794
Net before state tax
Take Home vs Taxes
Before state tax
$3,669
per week
Federal + FICA
$364
per week
Total Gross: $4,033 per week
🏠 Housing Stipend Analysis
Your Weekly Housing Stipend
$1,589
≈ $6,880/month
Est. 1BR Rent in Colorado
$1,400
Monthly average
✅ Potential Tax-Free Pocket Money
+$5,480
Your stipend covers rent with $5,480 left over each month.
Find apartments under $1,400/month in Denver:
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Average Travel Nurse Pay in Colorado
These are average pay rates for travel nurses in Colorado. Actual pay varies by specialty, experience, and facility. Use our pay calculator to estimate your specific take-home pay.
Hourly Rate
$50/hr
Weekly Gross
$2,000
Annual
$104,000
GSA Per Diem Rates for Colorado
Lodging
$227/night
Meals & Incidentals (M&IE)
$92/day
These rates determine the maximum tax-free stipend amounts for travel nurses in Colorado.
Tax Information for Colorado
Cost of Living in Colorado
Cost of Living Index
105.1
Above national average
Housing
High
Utilities
Moderate
How CO Compares: Hourly Pay Estimates
Data source: these are TravelNurseCalc's own editorial estimates, last reviewed July 31, 2026. They are not survey, government or submitted-rate data, and they are quoted on a 40-hour full-time-equivalent basis, not a 36-hour contract. Actual pay varies by facility, experience and contract terms. See the methodology for what is sourced and what is ours.
CO estimate
$50/hr
Editorial estimate, 40-hour basis
Mean of all 50 state estimates
$47/hr
Simple average, not weighted by nurse headcount
Estimated Pay by Specialty
$55/hr
$54/hr
$56/hr
$52/hr
$48/hr
$53/hr
$54/hr
$55/hr
$49/hr
$51/hr
$54/hr
$50/hr
$130/hr
$62/hr
CO vs. the Highest-Estimate States
$58/hr
$58/hr
$56/hr
$56/hr
$55/hr
$50/hr
Want real submitted rates?
Offers submitted by nurses appear in the Agency Pay Tracker, and only once a segment has at least 30 submissions. Until then, use the calculator to turn any offer into take-home pay.
Popular Cities for Travel Nurses in Colorado
These are the most popular cities for travel nurse assignments in Colorado. Click on any city to see detailed pay information, cost of living, and job opportunities. Use our state comparison tool to compare pay across different states.
Aurora
Avg Pay: $54/hr
1BR Rent: $1400/mo
View city guide →
Colorado Springs
Avg Pay: $51/hr
1BR Rent: $1200/mo
View city guide →
Denver
Avg Pay: $54/hr
1BR Rent: $1700/mo
View city guide →
Durango
Avg Pay: $51/hr
1BR Rent: $1300/mo
View city guide →
Fort Collins
Avg Pay: $53/hr
1BR Rent: $1300/mo
View city guide →
Grand Junction
Avg Pay: $51/hr
1BR Rent: $1150/mo
View city guide →
Greeley
Avg Pay: $50/hr
1BR Rent: $1000/mo
View city guide →
Pueblo
Avg Pay: $50/hr
1BR Rent: $1000/mo
View city guide →
View all state pay guides or search for specific cities using our calculator.
Colorado Pay by Nursing Specialty
Pay varies significantly by specialty. Select a specialty to see detailed salary data for Colorado:
ICU
$55/hr
~$1,980/wk
Very High DemandER
$54/hr
~$1,944/wk
Very High DemandOR
$56/hr
~$2,016/wk
High DemandLabor & Delivery
$53/hr
~$1,908/wk
High DemandMed-Surg
$50/hr
~$1,800/wk
Very High DemandPACU
$54/hr
~$1,944/wk
High DemandNICU
$54/hr
~$1,944/wk
High DemandPICU
$55/hr
~$1,980/wk
High DemandPsychiatric
$51/hr
~$1,836/wk
Moderate DemandOncology
$53/hr
~$1,908/wk
High DemandCardiac
$54/hr
~$1,944/wk
High DemandTelemetry
$52/hr
~$1,872/wk
High DemandCRNA
$118/hr
~$4,248/wk
Very High DemandCath Lab
$56/hr
~$2,016/wk
High DemandTop Hospitals in Colorado
- UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital
- Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center
- Rose Medical Center
Nursing License Requirements for Colorado
Cost of Living in Colorado
Average 1BR Rent
$1,400/mo
Cost of Living Index
105.1
National avg = 100
Housing Cost
High
Tip: Use our pay calculator to see how your take-home pay compares to the cost of living in Colorado. Consider that rent in Colorado is higher than the national average.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do travel nurses make in Colorado?
Travel nurses in Colorado typically earn between $45 and $60 per hour in taxable wages, with an average of $50/hr. When including tax-free stipends, the blended hourly rate ranges from $59-74 per hour.
What are the GSA rates for Colorado?
The GSA per diem rates for Colorado are: Lodging: $227/night, and Meals & Incidental Expenses (M&IE): $92/day — GSA publishes M&IE as a single combined rate, not a separate incidentals figure. These rates determine the maximum tax-free stipend amounts travel nurses can receive. For official rates, visit [GSA.gov](https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates).
Is Colorado tax-friendly for travel nurses?
Colorado does levy a state income tax — we don't publish a specific rate here, since we only compute exact state tax for the 9 states with no wage income tax at all (see our methodology). You'll pay federal tax and FICA on your taxable wages regardless of state.
What is the cost of living in Colorado?
The cost of living index in Colorado is 105.1, which is above the national average. Housing costs are high, and utilities are moderate.
Do I need a separate license to work in Colorado?
Colorado is part of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), so if you have a compact license, you can work here without additional licensing. The license costs $300 and typically takes 2-4 weeks to process.