Denver’s minimum wage is $18.29 per hour

UPLIFTING OUR COMMUNITIES

El Auditor a su servicio

Timothy M. O’Brien, CPA, Auditor de Denver

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Welcome to 2024, a new year when Denver will continue to uplift our communities, workers, and businesses.

More than ever, my office and my Denver Labor team will work to protect workers’ wage rights, regardless of their immigration status, and help businesses understand the city’s wage laws. With the minimum wage and civil wage theft ordinances, we now have more tools than ever to serve all members of our community.

Starting this January, all workers in the City and County of Denver must earn at least $18.29 per hour, with a few exceptions. Only businesses in the food and beverage industry can claim a tip credit of up to $3.02 to reduce their minimum wage obligation, as long as workers receive the same amount in documented tips.

Denver’s minimum wage is $18.29 per hour

Workers who are not earning Denver’s minimum wage can contact my analysts at Denver Labor so we can begin an investigation and recover the unpaid wages. In 2023, Denver Labor helped more than 3,500 people recover more than $2 million in total. We broke a new record and closed 100 more cases than the previous year.

My office recovers $500,000 for workers to start the year Auditor's Office Works for You

Denver’s minimum wage is $18.29 per hour

Sometimes, employers make honest mistakes and underpay their workers. Common mistakes include not paying the minimum wage when the job site is within the geographic boundaries of the City and County of Denver or claiming the tip credit when the business is not in the food and beverage industry. If you are an employer and think you might have underpaid your workers, let us know us and we’ll work with you to make it right.

If you have questions about Denver’s wage laws and how to be in compliance, please feel free to contact my team by visiting DenverWages.org or calling 720-913-WAGE. We are here for you and will work collaboratively to resolve your case.