Firefighter · Boulder, CO
Firefighter in Boulder: $1,716/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median firefighter wage in Boulder at $79,390 a year. About 360 firefighter jobs are in the metro. The job is a smaller share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 0.85). The 10th percentile is $47,730 and the 90th is $107,200. Pay ranks 34th-highest of 346 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 4.0× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,647/mo). Colorado charges a 4.40% flat income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $1,716 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Fort Collins, about 39 miles away, at $2,902 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Left over each month
$1,716
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$79,390
$47,730 to $107,200
Rent (1 bd)
$1,647
$1,961 (2 bd)
Employment
360
Location quotient 0.85
Pay rank
34th of 346
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
4.0×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, firefighter pay of $79,390.
- Taxes$1,500
- Rent$1,647
- Other living costs$1,753
- Left over$1,716
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $79,390
- Federal income tax
- −$9,080
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$6,073
- State income tax (CO)
- −$2,851
- Take-home pay
- $61,386
- Effective tax rate
- 22.7%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $1,647
- Groceries
- $389
- Getting around
- $342
- Healthcare
- $438
- Utilities and internet
- $243
- Everything else
- $341
- Total spending
- $3,400
Left over each month
$6,616 gross, minus $1,500 in tax and $3,400 in living costs.
$1,716
Rank every metro for a firefighter
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Fort Collins, $2,902/mo.
Firefighter leftover by city →Best cities for firefighters to move to →Firefighter nearby
Other jobs in Boulder
- Registered nurse
- Software developer
- Elementary school teacher
- High school teacher
- Accountant / auditor
- Truck driver (heavy)
- Electrician
- Civil engineer
- Lawyer
- Police officer
- Financial analyst
- Pharmacist
- Product / project manager
- Physical therapist
- Nurse practitioner
- Physician
- Construction manager
- Data scientist
- Mechanical engineer
Questions
What does a firefighter make in Boulder?
$79,390 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 360 firefighter jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a firefighter in Boulder?
$1,716 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Colorado charges a 4.40% flat income tax Rent is $1,647, and pay covers 4.0× a year of it.
Where nearby would a firefighter keep more?
Fort Collins, about 39 miles away, leaves $2,902 a month, more than Boulder.