Skip to content
TryHired.
Paycheck calculator · Colorado

Colorado paycheck calculator: 2026 take-home pay

Enter your pay to see what comes out for federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and Colorado withholding, using the official 2026 tables.

Maid DizdarevicCareer coach · 8x LinkedIn Top Voice
Updated Nov 5, 2026 · Tables: IRS Publication 15-T (2026) and official state withholding instructions
Calculator

Estimate your Colorado paycheck

Estimated paycheck

Quick answer

On $2,000.00 every two weeks ($52,000 a year), single, with a standard 2020-or-later W-4, a paycheck in Colorado has about $396.64 withheld and takes home $1,603.36. Colorado withholds income tax at a flat 4.4% after a standard deduction.

Worked example

$2,000.00 every two weeks in Colorado

Data
Worked example, single, standard W-4, Colorado defaults (2026 tables)
ItemPer paycheck
Federal income tax$156.15
Social Security (6.2%)$124.00
Medicare (1.45%)$29.00
Colorado income tax$78.69
Colorado FAMLI paid family and medical leave premium (employee share)$8.80
Total withheld$396.64
Take-home pay$1,603.36
What comes out

The taxes on a paycheck in Colorado

Data
  • Federal income tax: withheld with the IRS 2026 percentage method for Forms W-4 from 2020 or later (Publication 15-T).
  • Social Security: 6.2% of wages up to $184,500 in 2026.
  • Medicare: 1.45% of all wages, plus 0.9% on wages above $200,000 in a calendar year.
  • Colorado withholds income tax at a flat 4.4% after a standard deduction.
  • Colorado FAMLI paid family and medical leave premium (employee share): 0.44% of wages up to $184,500 a year.
Not included

What this estimate leaves out

  • Pre-tax deductions such as 401(k) contributions and health premiums: they lower taxable pay, and states treat them differently.
  • Bonuses and other supplemental pay, which can be withheld at flat rates.
  • Year-to-date wages: the result is your first paycheck of 2026 from this employer, with no earlier wages counted. Social Security stops once your 2026 wages from the employer reach $184,500, and the employer withholds the extra 0.9% Medicare tax only on wages it pays you above $200,000 in 2026; the calculator names the paycheck in which each change starts.
  • Some Colorado cities charge workers an occupational privilege tax; it is not included.
  • No Form DR 0004: Colorado's default allowance from the W-4 filing status is used.
  • FAMLI: the employee share (0.44%) is deducted, on wages up to the Social Security wage base ($184,500); an employer may choose to pay it instead.
Next

Go deeper

PayAverage salary in Colorado

What jobs there pay.

Open →Pay floorColorado minimum wage

The state's hourly floor.

Open →PricesCost of living in Colorado

What a paycheck buys.

Open →Between jobsColorado unemployment benefits

The weekly maximum.

Open →CalculatorSalary to hourly calculator

Convert any salary or hourly rate.

Open →NegotiateSalary negotiation

Raise the number before taxes.

Open →All statesPaycheck calculator by state

Every verified state.

Open →

Disclosure: TryHired makes HIRED, a paid job-search program, so we have a conflict of interest when we mention it. Everything on this page is free to use without buying anything.

FAQ

Questions people ask

How much is taken out of a paycheck in Colorado?
On $2,000.00 every two weeks ($52,000 a year), single, with a standard 2020-or-later W-4, a paycheck in Colorado has about $396.64 withheld and takes home $1,603.36. Colorado withholds income tax at a flat 4.4% after a standard deduction.
Does Colorado have a state income tax?
Colorado withholds income tax at a flat 4.4% after a standard deduction.
What is the Social Security wage limit for 2026?
$184,500. Social Security tax of 6.2% stops for the rest of the year once your wages reach it (IRS Publication 15, 2026).
Why might my paycheck differ from this estimate?
Pre-tax deductions, bonuses, local taxes, year-to-date wages and the exact entries on your W-4 and state certificate all change the amount; your employer's payroll system settles it.
Method

How this page is built

Federal income tax follows IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Worksheet 1A and the Annual Percentage Method tables; Social Security and Medicare follow Publication 15 (2026). Colorado withholding follows Colorado Department of Revenue, DR 1098, 2026 Colorado Withholding Worksheet for Employers. The calculator in this page and the worked example run the same engine on the same tables. We re-read every table each January and whenever a state changes its withholding mid-year.

What this page can't tell you
  • An estimate of withholding, not your tax bill and not tax advice: your employer's payroll system and your own W-4 settle the real amount.
  • Pre-tax deductions such as 401(k) contributions and health premiums: they lower taxable pay, and states treat them differently.
  • Bonuses and other supplemental pay, which can be withheld at flat rates.
  • Year-to-date wages: the result is your first paycheck of 2026 from this employer, with no earlier wages counted. Social Security stops once your 2026 wages from the employer reach $184,500, and the employer withholds the extra 0.9% Medicare tax only on wages it pays you above $200,000 in 2026; the calculator names the paycheck in which each change starts.
Sources
  1. IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods: Worksheet 1A and the 2026 Annual Percentage Method tables, irs.gov, read Nov 5, 2026.
  2. IRS Publication 15 (2026), (Circular E), Employer's Tax Guide: social security and Medicare tax for 2026, irs.gov, read Nov 5, 2026.
  3. Colorado Department of Revenue, DR 1098, 2026 Colorado Withholding Worksheet for Employers, official source, read Nov 5, 2026.
  4. Colorado FAMLI Division, Employers (2026 premium), official source, read Nov 5, 2026.