Median Wages
Boulder County
Fourth Quarter 2003
The charts below illustrate median wages paid in Boulder County for various jobs
according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. This handout was prepared to better
understand the types of workers whose wages are at or below median income. (The list
is for selected jobs employing more than 200 workers, for purposes of illustration; it
does not include all jobs.) The values differ from the US Department of Housing and
Urban Development tables of Household Income since, on average, household
members are employed in 1.25 full time jobs. All Occupations Median Wage for
Boulder County is $44,830. Per Capita Median Income is $32,795 (all income divided by
all residents). Household Median Income is $60,652. Median wage is that for which an
equal number of workers earn more and an equal number earn less; it differs from an
“average” which can be skewed by very high incomes. The numbers include only
income from wages.
The types of jobs that are welcomed to create a strong economy tend to be those that
pay wages higher than the median such as software engineers. However, a review of
the types of jobs paying less than the median wage reveals that many of these
occupations are essential to the strength of the business sector (such as janitors and
delivery truck drivers) and the community as a whole (such as teachers, postal workers
and police officers).
A further complexity is that in Colorado, cities rely heavily on sales tax revenues for their
operations. Retail jobs (along with tourism) tend to pay well below median wages, thus
putting pressure on the communities for assistance to these families for housing, health
care, transportation, child care and other needs that cannot be fully met on a retail
wage.
Boulder County Occupations with
wages greater than Median Wage
Accountants and Auditors
Architects
Attorneys
Building Inspectors
Computer Hardware Engineers
Computer Network Admin
Computer Programmers
Computer Support Specialists
Computer Systems Engineers
Construction Supervisor
Electronics Engineers
Elementary School Teachers
Financial Managers
General Managers
Information Systems Manager
Loan Officers
Management Analysts
Manufacturing Sales Rep
Market Research Analysts
Mechanical & Industrial Engineers
Pharmacists
Police and Sheriff Officers
Purchasing Agents
Registered Nurses
Sales Managers
Sales Rep – Non-Technical
Sales Rep – Technical
Social Service Managers
Software Engineers
Median
Wage/Salary
$49,640
$65,530
$77,230
$51,590
$96,310
$63,330
$74,890
$55,430
$89,240
$50,490
$90,880
$46,550
$95,760
$106,330
$110,610
$60,980
$76,140
$72,470
$66,830
$78,000
$79,500
$54,880
$54,740
$54,090
$110,590
$72,470
$63,510
$44,840
$82,780
Occupations with wages less than
Median Wage
Auto Mechanics and Technicians
Bank Tellers
Bookkeepers
Cashiers
Child Care Workers
Construction Laborers
Customer Service Reps
Delivery Truck Drivers
Electricians
Executive Secretaries
Fast Food Workers
Fitness Trainers
Graphic Designers
Groundskeepers and Landscapers
Home Health Care Aides
Inspectors, Testers, Samplers
Janitors
Licensed Practical Nurses
Mail Carriers
Maintenance and Repair Workers
Nursing Aides and Orderlies
Production Assemblers
Receptionists
Restaurant Cooks
Restaurant Managers
Retail Salesperson
Retail Store Managers
Security Guards
Stock Room Clerks
Waiters and Dishwashers
Median
Wage/Salary
$42,520
$24,030
$33,080
$21,000
$19,670
$26,970
$31,530
$25,030
$40,540
$41,490
$15,800
$32,360
$42,010
$23,800
$18,770
$31,360
$21,010
$36,190
$42,860
$35,730
$23,560
$23,530
$23,580
$21,630
$31,510
$24,840
$36,430
$24,090
$24,230
$16,500
Boulder County Civic Forum
February 2005
Source: US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, “November 2003 Metropolitan Area
Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, Boulder-Longmont PMSA,”
http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_1125.htm. This document contains wages for all jobs.