Colorado Teacher Salary

As a Colorado teacher, you’ll receive a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits and opportunities to grow your career. We'll tell you everything you need to know. Read on, or download the full report.

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Colorado’s typical teacher salary is around $60,000, and most teacher salaries are on the rise. From 2019 to 2020, CO’s typical teacher salaries rose by 5.03%. (1) That’s one of the fastest-growing salaries in the nation! 

On this page, you'll find everything you need to know about salary and benefits for CO teachers.

Get information on:

  • Typical teacher salaries and how you can increase your teaching salary.
  • Salaries for other popular professions in CO.
  • Benefits and support for CO teachers.
  • Job security for CO teachers.
  • Career growth for teachers.

How Much Do Teachers Make in Colorado?

Each district has its own teacher salary schedule, but in general, your salary will be determined by your familiarity, credentials and location in the state.

Your starting salary, or entry salary, is how much you'll make in your first year right after your teacher education program. Starting salaries vary by district. You'll also earn a higher starting salary with a master's than you will with a bachelor's.

Starting teacher salaries are on the rise. According to the National Education Association, the typical starting salary for 2019-2020 had "an increase of 2.5% over 2018-2019. When adjusted for inflation, this marks the largest annual increase in starting pay since before the Great Recession" (2)

In 2020, CO's typical teacher starting salary was $35,292 for an entry job. (3) The chart below shows samples of 2021-2022 salaries for entry teachers around CO.

City

District

First-year salary for teacher with a bachelor's degree

First-year salary for teacher with a master's degree

Colorado SpringsColorado Springs School District 11$40,200$45,343
DenverDenver Public Schools$45,800$50,343
Grand JunctionMesa County Valley School District 51$41,000$44,250
PuebloPueblo County School District 70$39,491$43,584

To see more salaries around the state, check out the district profiles at our Schools & Community page.

Average salary refers to what all teachers make, on average. That includes people who have been in the job for a while. CO’s average school teacher salary in 2021 was $60,611. (1) 

The chart below shows sample salaries for CO teachers with a decade of on the job knowledge and a master’s degree.

City

District

Salary for teacher of 10 years with a master’s degree

Colorado SpringsColorado Springs School District 11$55,274
DenverDenver Public Schools$70,495
Grand JunctionMesa County Valley School District 51$52,405
PuebloPueblo County School District 70$56,694

Teacher Income and Cost of Living

As you compare jobs and salaries around Colorado, it’s good to factor in the cost of living in your region with your job of choice. You might earn a lower total amount as a rural teacher than you would in a large city—but remember, your daily expenses will also be lower in a rural area.

Extra financial support, like loan forgiveness and housing assistance programs, can also help you build a comfortable life as a teacher. 

There are a number of ways you can increase your teacher salary, including advanced education, leading extracurriculars and pursuing advanced certifications or meeting performance benchmarks. 

Incentives for Advanced Credentials

Districts offer higher paying jobs for a teacher with advanced degrees, such as a master’s or doctorate. 

You can also earn bonuses when you meet certain performance benchmarks, or if you earn your National Board Certification. In Denver, National Board Certified teachers go up a full step on the district salary schedule—which works out to an extra $2,000-$3,000 more per year. (4)

Bonuses for Extracurriculars 

Most districts offer extra pay for teachers who lead certain extracurriculars, especially at the middle school and high school levels. These stipends are usually for staple extracurriculars, such as yearbook, choir or athletics. 

Stipends vary depending on the activity and your district, but extra pay for these leadership roles ranges from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.

There are a number of ways you can increase your teaching salary, including advanced education, leading extracurriculars and pursuing advanced certifications or meeting performance benchmarks.

How Much do Similar Professions Make in Colorado?

Salary numbers are important information, but you may also be wondering how teacher salaries compare to other professions.

CO teacher salaries are comparable to or even higher than many other fields that require a bachelor's or master's degree. Plus, teachers usually work about 180-190 days each year—compared to 260 work days a year in most other fields. 

Compare average salaries and work days across the state (5):

Industry

Job

Days of work annually

Average Salary

EducationTeacher185    
$61K
Social ServicesSocial Worker260$55K
Art and DesignGraphic Designer260$55K
LawLaw Clerk260$60K
TechnologyWeb Developer260$73K
HealthcareRegistered Nurse260$77K

Benefits for Teachers

In CO teachers receive comprehensive medical, dental and vision insurance—plus secure retirement plans and vacation time.

A pension is a little different from a standard 401(k) or other retirement plan. When it’s time to retire, your pension isn’t the same as the amount in your retirement account. Instead, it’s based on the amount of time you worked, as well as your age and the average of your highest average salaries. (6) 

In CO, teachers can receive a full pension at age 65 with 30 years of in-state service. Teachers can retire earlier or with less time, and still receive partial benefits. (7)

How do teacher pensions work in Colorado?

During your career, you’ll contribute 10% of your salary to the Public Employees’ Retirement Association (PERA). Your employer also makes a contribution that goes into the statewide PERA fund. 

Your contributions, your employer’s contributions and the contributions of other state employees earn interest over time. Those contributions add up, so you’ll be financially secure when it’s time to retire. (6)

Vacation days will depend on your district, but in general you can expect: 

  • Spring break
  • December holiday break
  • National holidays off
  • Paid personal & sick days during the school year

As you probably know, teachers also get a long summer break. Teachers use this time to travel, explore professional development, relax or work elsewhere. Some districts offer summer positions for teachers, such as summer school classes or curriculum development jobs.

Want to continue your education or pursue professional development? Many CO school districts provide funds for tuition reimbursement and professional development (such as conferences or trainings) for teachers. 

Building your skills can increase both your knowledge and your pay. It also helps districts retain top-notch educators—so it’s a win-win for everyone.  

You don’t have to wait for your district to help cover your continuing education. Find grants, scholarships and fellowships for CO teachers and teacher candidates with our Financial Aid Explorer.

Stepping into a classroom could mean stepping out of debt. There are a number of loan forgiveness opportunities for teachers. These programs cancel your remaining student loans—meaning you don’t have to pay them back!—in exchange for a commitment to teach for a certain term. 

Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program

The Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program benefits public school teachers with federal student loans.

Teachers in certain shortage areas, including math, science and special education can receive up to $17,500. If you teach a different subject, you can still get up to $5,000 in forgiven loans. 

Perkins Loan Forgiveness

You can get up to 100% of your Perkins loans forgiven if you teach a shortage area subject in a school that serves low-income students. 

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

If you’ve worked full-time in a public service field for 10 years, you may qualify to have your remaining student loans forgiven through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Qualifying fields include government service, nonprofits and public education.

Buying a house is expensive, but there are resources to help teachers find a home in the community where they teach.

Landed

Landed supports educators and school staff on the path to homeownership. Landed provides education about homeownership, a personalized home-buying team, and (in some CO cities) a shared equity down payment program.

Good Neighbor Next Door

The federal government created Good Neighbor Next Door to contribute to community revitalization and to support 

people in service professions like teaching. The U.S. Department of Housing and Development offers a discount of 50% from the list price of qualifying homes.

Teacher Next Door

The Teacher Next Door Program helps classroom teachers buy a home in Colorado through grants, loans and other financial assistance. 

Support for educators includes:

  • Grants
  • Loans
  • Down payment assistance
  • Reduced interest rates

 

Homes for Heroes

Homes for Heroes assists educators by making the home buying, selling or refinancing process easier (and saving teachers money in the process)! Learn more about Homes for Heroes.

You can get even more financial assistance when you commit to becoming a teacher in a rural district for a certain amount of time. 

Below, we’ve highlighted a few key programs for rural teacher candidates. You can learn more about these and similar programs at the Colorado Center for Rural Education. 

Colorado Rural Teaching Fellowship

During your teaching program, you’ll complete your final semester or year in a hands-on school placement. Through the Colorado Rural Teaching Fellowship, you can receive $10,000 If you complete a year-long teaching experience in a rural school.

In exchange, you’ll commit to becoming a teacher in the same rural district for two years after you earn your license.

Colorado Rural Teaching Stipend

The Colorado Rural Teaching Stipend provides up to $4,000 when you complete your student teaching semester in a rural school. 

In exchange, you’ll commit to one of the available jobs teaching in the same rural district for three school years after you earn your teaching license.

Rural Alternative Licensure Stipend

In an alternative licensure program, you’ll lead your own classroom and earn a salary while you finish your license. Through the Rural Alternative Licensure Stipend, you can receive up to an additional $6,000 for program-related costs when you complete an alternative licensure program in a rural Colorado school district. 

In exchange, you’ll commit to becoming a teacher in a rural district for three  school years after you earn your teaching license. 

Now is a great time to become a teacher. Teachers are in high demand across Colorado, and the number of teaching opportunities is projected to grow in the coming years.

How Much Job Security Will I Have as a Teacher?

A high school science teacher checks in with two students who are lab partners. One student is holding a beaker with liquid inside. There are papers and empty beakers on the desk. The teacher and both high school students are wearing safety goggles.

Now is a great time to become a teacher. Teachers are in high demand across Colorado, and the number of teaching opportunities is projected to grow in the coming years. (8) 

Teachers are especially needed in shortage areas like special education, STEM, rural education and culturally and linguistically diverse education. That means you’ll have extra job security if you become a teacher in one of these areas. You can find a full list of current shortage areas on our About Licensure page.

In Colorado, you’ll be eligible for tenure after three consecutive years of effective teaching. Tenured teachers have even more job security than non-tenured teachers. (9)

Career Growth for Teachers

Your teacher journey doesn’t necessarily need to start and end in the classroom. As an educator, you can grow your career—and your salary—by moving into advanced teaching jobs, getting licensed to teach additional subjects, becoming a school or district leader, working on education policy… The sky’s the limit! 

Interested in learning more about career growth possibilities for teachers? Visit our Teacher Career Path Guide for more ideas and options. 

Want to stay in the classroom? 

As a classroom teacher, you can grow into specialized leadership roles, such as a peer observer or mentor teacher position. 

The Colorado Department of Education describes a mentor teacher as an educator “who has demonstrated outstanding teaching and school leadership and who can provide exemplary modeling and counseling.” (10)

Mentor teachers are key leaders to help student teachers and early career teachers build their skills. These leadership roles also come with extra pay. For example, you could earn:

  • $600 to be a mentor teacher in Pagosa Springs (Archuleta School District 50) (11)
  • $750 per semester to be a mentor teacher in Denver (Denver Public Schools)
  • $880 to be a New Teacher Ambassador to early-career teachers in Denver (12) 
  • $1,000 per year to be a mentor teacher in northern Colorado (Poudre School District) (13)

Interested in opportunities outside the classroom? 

After you have some experience as a teacher under your belt, you might be curious about shifting your career direction. School or district leadership positions can be a great next step. Assistant principals, principals, curriculum coordinators and superintendents all help Colorado schools and districts run smoothly to support teachers and students. 

These administrative roles also come with their own salary schedules and salary bumps. For example, you could earn: 

  • $69K-$89K to be an assistant principal in Pagosa Springs (Archuleta School District 50) (11)
  • $69K-$103K to be Dean of Students in Grand Junction (Mesa County Valley School District 51) (14)
  • $100K-$113K to be Assistant Director of Equity and Inclusion in Colorado Springs (Colorado Springs School District 11) (15)
  • $119K-$169K to be a high school principal in Denver (Denver Public Schools) (16)

Have more questions about becoming a teacher in Colorado? A TEACH Colorado coach can tell you all about teacher jobs and incomes, teaching programs and more. Visit the TEACH Colorado coaching page to set up a free session. 

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References

  1.  Will, Madeline. “Teacher Salaries Are Increasing. See How Your State Compares.” Education Week. April 26, 2021.
  2. "NEA 2019-2020 Teacher Salary Benchmark Report, Collective Bargaining and Member Advocacy Department." National Education Association. April 26, 2021.
  3. “Teacher Pay and Spending: How Does Your State Rank?” National Education Association. April 23, 2021.
  4. Teach—Compensation and Benefits. Denver Public Schools. Careers.dpsk12.org. 
  5. Salary Finder, CareerOneStop. U.S. Department of Labor. Careeronestop.org. 
  6. New Members in the Defined Benefit Plan. Colorado PERA. COPERA.org.
  7. Benefit Estimate Assumptions. Colorado PERA. COPERA.org. 
  8. Careers With Most Openings, CareerOneStop. U.S. Department of Labor. Careeronestop.org. 
  9. Senate Bill 10-191. Colorado Department of Education. CDE.state.co.us. 
  10. "Pathways for Mentor Teachers: Creating Local Career Pathways." Colorado Department of Education. CDE.state.co.us.
  11. 2021-22 Approved Salary Schedules, Archuleta School District 50 JT. MyPagosaSchools.com. 
  12. Be a Teacher Leader, Denver Public Schools. Careers.DPSK12.org.
  13. Poudre School District Special Pay Schedule (S), 2021-2022 School Year. PSDSchools.org.
  14. Administrative, Professional Technical Salary Schedule, 2021-2022. Mesa County Valley School District 51. D51Schools.org
  15. Executive Professional Salary Schedule, Effective July 1, 2020. Colorado Springs School District 11. D11.org. 
  16. Master Agreement Between School District No. 1 in the City and County of Denver, State of Colorado And Denver School Leader Association, July 1, 2021-June 30, 2024. DPSK12.org.