Registered Nurses salary in Denver, CO

Median pay for registered nurses in Denver, CO: $87,330/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $71,560 – $116,680 · about 29,460 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($80,810) by +$6,520 (+8%).

What it's really worth in Denver

With Denver's cost of living at 106 (US=100), that $87,330 has the buying power of about $82,568 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $96,920 · median home $573,221 · median rent $1,910/mo.

Full Denver cost of living & taxes →

How Denver ranks for this job

On raw pay, Denver, CO is 50th of the 187 metros we hold registered nurses wages for. Once Denver's cost of living is applied, it ranks 143rd.

The headline number flatters Denver. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, registered nurses here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.

What that salary buys in Denver

A median home in Denver, CO costs $573,221 — about 6.6× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.

Median rent of $1,910/mo works out at 26% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.

Where registered nurses earn more

Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Denver.

Metro	Median pay	vs Denver	Rent vs Denver
Vallejo, CA	$187,080	+114%	1.3×
San Francisco, CA	$181,240	+108%	1.7×
San Jose, CA	$179,210	+105%	1.9×
Sacramento, CA	$157,810	+81%	1.2×

Same job elsewhere in CO

Metro	Median pay	vs Denver	Rent vs Denver
Boulder, CO	$96,260	+10%	1.2×
Fort Collins, CO	$86,790	−1%	1×
Greeley, CO	$85,180	−2%	0.9×
Colorado Springs, CO	$84,340	−3%	0.9×

Staying in CO keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.

Who hires registered nurses around Denver

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

• CommonSpirit Health · Healthcare
• Denver Public Schools · Education

Other jobs in Denver