What’s the minimum wage for servers in Colorado?

Colorado at a glance

As of the U.S. Department of Labor table revised July 1, 2026. Your city may set a higher rate.

What’s different in Colorado

Compared with the federal setup of $2.13 plus tips to reach $7.25, a Colorado server starts from a much higher floor. The employer covers $12.14 of every hour directly, and the credit it can take against your tips is capped at $3.02.

Colorado matches the federal test for who counts as tipped: more than $30 a month in tips. Fall under that, and you’re owed the regular $15.16 with no credit at all. Add the DOL’s note about higher local minimums, and the rate on your stub depends on the city as well as the state.

In May 2025 the median hourly pay BLS reported for Colorado waiters and waitresses was $21.57. Treat that as an employer-reported estimate that counts tips, not a promise of take-home pay.

Example shift

Say you work 6 hours and walk out with $120 in tips (illustrative numbers; use your own).

1. Wages: $12.14 × 6 = $72.84.
2. With tips: $72.84 + $120 = $192.84, or $32.14 an hour.
3. If your tips for the week don’t bring you to $15.16 an hour, federal law says your employer has to make up the difference.

What servers earn: BLS estimates the median hourly wage for waiters and waitresses in Colorado was $21.57 in May 2025. BLS counts tips in this figure, but the numbers come from employers’ estimates, so they may not reflect all the tips servers receive.

Check your own week: Am I being paid at least minimum wage?