Colorado Paycheck Calculator
Figure basis: Official Colorado Department of RevenueThis Colorado paycheck calculator estimates your take-home pay after the taxes withheld from a typical wage. Enter your gross pay, choose how often you are paid (weekly, every two weeks, twice a month or monthly) and select your filing status to see a full breakdown of every deduction and your net pay. The estimate combines four withholdings: federal income tax, calculated with the 2026 Internal Revenue Service annualised percentage method; Social Security at 6.2% up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500.00; Medicare at 1.45% on all wages; and Colorado state income tax withholding, applied with the brackets published by the Colorado Department of Revenue for tax year 2025. Results update as you type and the page link captures your inputs so you can save or share a calculation. This estimate covers federal withholding, FICA and state income tax only; State Disability Insurance where a state levies it, and any city or county local income tax, are not included and are noted separately. Use it to check a payslip, compare an offer, or plan a pre-tax contribution.
A $5,000 biweekly paycheck (single filer) in Colorado is about $3,657.46 take-home, after federal income tax $766.69, Social Security $310.00, Medicare $72.50 and Colorado income tax $193.35.
How the Colorado paycheck calculation works
annual gross = gross per period x pay periods per year
federal withholding = IRS Pub 15-T annualised percentage method, de-annualised
Social Security = min(annual gross, $184,500.00) x 6.2% / periods
Medicare = annual gross x 1.45% / periods
state withholding = Colorado income tax on annual gross / periods
take-home = gross per period - federal - Social Security - Medicare - state
Worked example
A single filer paid $5,000.00 every two weeks (26 pay periods a year) in Colorado, for 2026:
- Annual gross = $5,000.00 x 26 = $130,000.00
- Federal income tax withheld this period = $766.69
- Social Security = $310.00; Medicare = $72.50
- Colorado income tax withheld = $193.35
- Take-home = $5,000.00 - $766.69 - $310.00 - $72.50 - $193.35 = $3,657.46
The Colorado line that shifts from year to year
A Colorado paycheck carries the standard federal trio, federal income tax, Social Security at 6.2% up to the 2025 base of $176,100, and Medicare at 1.45%, plus a flat state income tax withheld at 4.4% for tax year 2025. Because the rate is flat, the state slice is simple to estimate: it applies to Colorado taxable income, which begins from your federal taxable income.
The catch is that the flat rate is not fixed. For tax year 2024 only, a Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR) surplus mechanism temporarily cut the rate to 4.25%, so a payslip or return from that year shows a different number than 2025's 4.4%. Treat 4.4% as the baseline and any lower figure as a possible one-off refund rather than a permanent reduction.
Because Colorado starts from federal taxable income, the federal standard deduction ($15,750 single, $31,500 married filing jointly, $23,625 head of household for 2025) flows through automatically, with no separate Colorado deduction to claim. High earners meet one catch that withholding may miss: taxpayers with federal adjusted gross income above $300,000 must add back the part of that deduction over $12,000 (single) or $16,000 (joint), lifting their Colorado tax at filing. This estimate also excludes the flat occupational privilege taxes a few Colorado cities charge.
Colorado paycheck calculator: frequently asked questions
How much is take-home pay on a $5,000 biweekly paycheck in Colorado?
A single filer earning $5,000 every two weeks in Colorado keeps about $3,657.46 after federal income tax withholding ($766.69), Social Security ($310.00), Medicare ($72.50) and Colorado state income tax withholding ($193.35). Enter your own gross pay, pay frequency and filing status above for your figure.
Does Colorado have a state income tax withheld from paychecks?
Yes. Colorado income tax is withheld from wages in addition to federal income tax and FICA. This calculator applies the Colorado brackets published by the Colorado Department of Revenue (tax year 2025) using the annualised method.
What FICA taxes are withheld from a Colorado paycheck?
Social Security is withheld at 6.2% on wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500.00, and Medicare at 1.45% on all wages, with an additional 0.9% Medicare tax on wages above the filing-status threshold. These are federal taxes that apply to wages in every state.
Does this Colorado paycheck estimate include SDI or local taxes?
No. This estimate covers federal income tax withholding, Social Security, Medicare and Colorado state income tax withholding. State Disability Insurance (SDI), where a state levies it, and any city or county local income taxes are not included; check your state and local authorities for those.
Official sources
- Federal income tax withholding and standard deduction (tax year 2026): US Internal Revenue Service, as at Jun 12, 2026.
- Social Security wage base and FICA rates (2026): US Social Security Administration and IRS Topic 751, as at Jun 12, 2026.
- Colorado income tax brackets (tax year 2025): Colorado Department of Revenue, as at Jul 16, 2026.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 25 June 2026. See our methodology. General information, not financial or tax advice. State Disability Insurance and local income taxes are not included.