Colorado

Basic minimum rate: $15.16. Source: US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, state minimum wage table, page updated July 1, 2026.

Minimum wage (US DOL)

Basic minimum rate

$15.16

Premium pay after designated hours

Daily - 12, Weekly - 40

Source: US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, state minimum wage table; page updated July 1, 2026. Record: co.

DOL notes for Colorado

• Minimum wage rate and overtime provisions applicable to retail and service, commercial support service, food and beverage, and health and medical industries.

Verbatim from US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, state minimum wage table; page updated July 1, 2026. Record: co.

Rest periods (US DOL)

Basic standard

Paid 10-minute rest period for each 4 hours of work, or major fractions thereof. As practicable the rest period should be in the middle of the work period.

Prescribed by

Administratively Issued Colorado Minimum Pay Standards (COMPS) Order.

Coverage

Applicable to all employees of all private sector employers unless specifically exempted by COMPS Order.

Source: US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Minimum Length of Rest Periods; table revised January 1, 2023. Record: colorado.

Meal periods (US DOL)

Basic standard

½ hour if work shift exceeds 5 consecutive hours. On-duty meal period counted as time worked and permitted when nature of work prevents relief from all duties.

Prescribed by

Administratively issued Wage Order for 4 industries

Coverage

Applicable to retail and service, food and beverage, commercial support service, and health and medical industries. Exempts administrative, executive/supervisor, professional, outside sales employees, elected officials and their staff, companions, casual babysitters, and domestic employees employed by households or family members to perform duties in private residences, property managers, interstate drivers, driver helpers, loaders or mechanics of motor carriers, taxi cab drivers, and bona fide volunteers. Also exempt are: students employed by sororities, fraternities, college clubs, or dormitories, and students employed in a work experience study program and employees working in laundries of charitable institutions which pay no wages to workers and inmates, or patient workers who work in institutional laundries.

Source: US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Minimum Paid/Unpaid Meal Period; table revised January 1, 2023. Record: colorado.

Hours, counted

This page states the DOL rows and nothing beyond them. It does not say how they apply to any particular job, schedule or agreement. For hours, the calculators do arithmetic on the numbers you type: shift hours, hour totals split at 40, long shifts.