Uprootmap

Software developer · Boulder, CO

Software developer in Boulder: $6,319/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median software developer wage in Boulder at $164,560 a year. About 7,130 software developer jobs are in the metro. The job is a larger share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 3.41). The 10th percentile is $102,880 and the 90th is $235,660. Pay ranks 6th-highest of 375 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 8.3× 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 $6,319 a month after tax and rent. Within 250 miles, Cheyenne is the strongest other metro for this job ($4,813 left over a month), and Boulder still leaves more.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$6,319

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$164,560

$102,880 to $235,660

Rent (1 bd)

$1,647

$1,961 (2 bd)

Employment

7,130

Location quotient 3.41

Pay rank

6th of 375

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

8.3×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, software developer pay of $164,560.

  • Taxes$3,994
  • Rent$1,647
  • Other living costs$1,753
  • Left over$6,319

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay
$164,560
Federal income tax
−$28,741
Social Security and Medicare
−$12,589
State income tax (CO)
−$6,598
Take-home pay
$116,632
Effective tax rate
29.1%

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

$13,713 gross, minus $3,994 in tax and $3,400 in living costs.

$6,319

Rank every metro for a software developer

Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Cheyenne, $4,813/mo.

Software developer leftover by city →Best cities for software developers to move to →

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Questions

What does a software developer make in Boulder?

$164,560 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 7,130 software developer jobs are in the metro.

What is left after tax and rent for a software developer in Boulder?

$6,319 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Colorado charges a 4.40% flat income tax Rent is $1,647, and pay covers 8.3× a year of it.

Where nearby would a software developer keep more?

Boulder leaves more than the other metros within 250 miles. The next one is Cheyenne at $4,813 a month.