--- title: "Boulder County Minimum Wage 2027: $17.43 from Jan 1 | MCC" description: "Boulder County (unincorporated), CO minimum wage: $17.43 from January 1, 2027, up $0.61 from $16.82. $1.72 above the Colorado rate." url: "https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/bookkeeping/minimum-wage-boulder-county-co-2027" --- Free guide · Boulder County (unincorporated), CO payroll # Boulder County (unincorporated) minimum wage 2027: $17.43 from January 1, 2027 The Boulder County (unincorporated) rate for 2026 and 2027, how it compares with the Colorado minimum, the tipped rule, and weekly and yearly pay at the new rate, from the official county page. [![Intuit ProAdvisor Gold tier badge](/img/credentials/intuit-proadvisor-gold.png)](https://proadvisor.intuit.com/app/accountant/search?searchId=matthew-coleman77)Gold tier in Intuit's ProAdvisor program. [See my Intuit listing](https://proadvisor.intuit.com/app/accountant/search?searchId=matthew-coleman77) Keeping your own books? Tallyfinch does invoices, bank import and reports on your computer. [See Tallyfinch](/bookkeeping/mcc-books-downloadable-bookkeeping-software) **Short answer.** CDLE local minimum wage table: Boulder County (unincorporated areas only) $17.43 in 2027. $17.43 Boulder County (unincorporated) minimum wage from January 1, 2027 (+$0.61, 3.6%) ## Boulder County (unincorporated) minimum wage at a glance 2027 rate $17.43 an hour from January 1, 2027 2026 rate $16.82 an hour Change +$0.61 an hour (3.6%) Colorado rate, 2027 $15.71 an hour Boulder County (unincorporated) above Colorado $1.72 an hour (10.9%) in 2027 Kind of rate County ordinance, unincorporated areas only Tipped employees CDLE: the tipped minimum (with tip credit) is $13.80 in 2026 and $14.41 in 2027. Official page Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE): Division of Labor Standards and Statistics, state and local minimum wages ## Boulder County (unincorporated) rate history: 2026 to 2027 CDLE local minimum wage table: Boulder County (unincorporated areas only) $16.82 in 2026. CDLE local minimum wage table: Boulder County (unincorporated areas only) $17.43 in 2027. That is $0.61 more an hour, a 3.6% increase, for hours worked in Boulder County (unincorporated) on or after January 1, 2027. Want payroll set up right? [Payroll and leave tracking for New Jersey employers](/bookkeeping/payroll-and-leave-tracking-nj), or [employer registration in another state](/bookkeeping/out-of-state-employer-registration). ## Who the Boulder County (unincorporated) rate covers Only unincorporated areas of Boulder County, per CDLE; the City of Boulder has its own higher rate. ## Boulder County (unincorporated) compared with the Colorado minimum wage The Colorado general rate is $15.16 in 2026 and $15.71 in 2027. Boulder County (unincorporated)'s $17.43 is $1.72 an hour, or 10.9%, above the state's 2027 rate; in 2026 the gap was $1.66. Over a 2,080-hour year that's $3,578 more than the state minimum for one full-time employee. See the [Colorado 2027 minimum wage page](/bookkeeping/minimum-wage-colorado-2027) for the state rules. ## Boulder County (unincorporated) tipped employees CDLE: the tipped minimum (with tip credit) is $13.80 in 2026 and $14.41 in 2027. A server paid the $14.41 cash wage for 30 hours needs at least $90.60 in tips that week to reach $17.43 an hour; the employer makes up any shortfall. ## What the Boulder County (unincorporated) rate means for pay Weekly gross pay at the Boulder County (unincorporated) minimum, before taxes. Hours over 40 are paid at time and a half under federal overtime rules. A full-time year of 2,080 hours comes to about $36,254 at the 2027 rate, against $34,986 at the 2026 rate and $32,677 at the Colorado 2027 rate. | Schedule | Boulder County (unincorporated) 2026 | Boulder County (unincorporated) 2027 | Difference | Colorado 2027 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Full time, 40 hours | $672.80 | $697.20 | +$24.40 | $628.40 | | Part time, 30 hours | $504.60 | $522.90 | +$18.30 | $471.30 | | 46 hours (6 at time and a half) | $824.18 | $854.07 | +$29.89 | $769.79 | For a staff list, the [payroll change calculator](/bookkeeping/minimum-wage-payroll-change-calculator?state=co) works out raises against the Colorado rate; compare its results with Boulder County (unincorporated)'s $17.43 for anyone who works in Boulder County (unincorporated). ## Updating payroll for Boulder County (unincorporated) - List everyone who works in Boulder County (unincorporated) and is paid under $17.43 an hour, including part-time and seasonal staff and anyone who works there only some of the week. - Set the new rate in payroll with an effective date of January 1, 2027, and split any pay period that crosses it so hours before the date stay at $16.82. - For tipped staff, raise the cash wage to $14.41 and check each week that cash wage plus tips reaches $17.43. - Replace the Boulder County (unincorporated) minimum wage notice with the 2027 version from the official page. ## Other local rates in Colorado - [Boulder](/bookkeeping/minimum-wage-boulder-co-2027): $18.17 from January 1, 2027 - [Denver](/bookkeeping/minimum-wage-denver-co-2027): $19.84 from January 1, 2027 - [Edgewater](/bookkeeping/minimum-wage-edgewater-co-2027): $19.84 from January 1, 2027 ## Official sources for Boulder County (unincorporated) - [Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE): Division of Labor Standards and Statistics, state and local minimum wages](https://cdle.colorado.gov/dlss) (checked November 2026) General information, not legal or payroll advice; we are not lawyers or payroll advisers. Checked November 2026 against the official Boulder County (unincorporated) pages above. A city or county can change a rate after we check, and coverage, employer-size rules and exemptions differ from place to place. Before you change payroll, confirm the rate with the local labor standards office, your payroll provider or an employment attorney. MCC Solutions isn't affiliated with any government agency. ## Boulder County (unincorporated) minimum wage questions **What is the Boulder County (unincorporated) minimum wage in 2027?** $17.43 an hour from January 1, 2027, up from $16.82. CDLE local minimum wage table: Boulder County (unincorporated areas only) $17.43 in 2027. **How does the Boulder County (unincorporated) minimum wage compare with the Colorado rate?** In 2027, Boulder County (unincorporated) is $1.72 an hour (10.9%) above the Colorado rate of $15.71. In 2026 the gap was $1.66. Employers pay the Boulder County (unincorporated) rate for work done there. **How much is a full-time Boulder County (unincorporated) minimum wage job in 2027?** $697.20 a week for 40 hours, or about $36,254 a year at 2,080 hours, before taxes. That is $24.40 a week more than at the 2026 rate. **Who does the Boulder County (unincorporated) minimum wage cover?** Only unincorporated areas of Boulder County, per CDLE; the City of Boulder has its own higher rate. All localities: [local minimum wage 2027](/bookkeeping/local-minimum-wage-2027) · [Colorado minimum wage 2027](/bookkeeping/minimum-wage-colorado-2027) · [Minimum wage by state](/bookkeeping/minimum-wage-by-state-2027) Tallyfinch ### Books you keep on your own computer Tallyfinch does invoices, bills, bank import, reconciliation and the main reports, in a file you own. $99 once, then $5 a month for updates; the app keeps working if you stop the plan. It does not do payroll or sales tax filing. The free download records up to 60 entries. [See Tallyfinch](/bookkeeping/mcc-books-downloadable-bookkeeping-software) [Download it free](/tools/pro/trial/mccBooks) [Compare the three apps](/software) ## Want payroll handled for you? [See bookkeeping services](/bookkeeping/)[Call (908) 444-6373](tel:+19084446373)