Teacher Salary
Schedules

2026-27 · State salary guide

Colorado teacher salary schedules 2026-27

Mountain West landscape with a school, trees and warm sunlight.
Average salary
$72,781NEA 2024-25
Starting salary
$45,489NEA 2024-25
State minimum
Not publishedSee state terms
Districts sourced
10Official schedules

Colorado teachers averaged $72,781 in 2024-25 per NEA, and the average starting salary was $45,489.

Colorado teachers averaged $72,781 in 2024-25 per NEA, and the average starting salary was $45,489. The state sets no minimum teacher salary, so each district sets its own pay. Among the largest districts, bachelor's starting pay for 2026-27 runs from $51,914 in Douglas County to $65,300 in St. Vrain Valley. Boulder Valley has the highest doctorate maximum, $140,381.

Last verified · View sources

Compare district salaries

Annual base pay, by education level. Years and contract terms can differ; open each schedule before comparing.

Select a column heading to sort. Scroll the table horizontally for more columns. Missing values are marked “Not published”.

Colorado district salary comparison
Official source
Denver Public SchoolsDenver2026-27$58,667$64,246$94,565$103,342$125,235Schedule ↗ for Denver Public Schools
Jeffco Public SchoolsGolden2026-27$56,085$60,661$94,199$101,886Not publishedSchedule ↗ for Jeffco Public Schools
Douglas County School DistrictCastle Rock2026-27$51,914$57,003$75,594$86,591$108,643Schedule ↗ for Douglas County School District
Cherry Creek School DistrictGreenwood Village2026-27$62,000$69,677$83,723$99,925$126,184Schedule ↗ for Cherry Creek School District
Aurora Public SchoolsAurora2026-27$61,805$70,185$96,844$104,309$127,750Schedule ↗ for Aurora Public Schools
Adams 12 Five Star SchoolsThornton2026-27$61,000$66,016$76,264$101,663$121,391Schedule ↗ for Adams 12 Five Star Schools
St. Vrain Valley SchoolsLongmont2026-27$65,300$70,300$77,725$99,545$114,025Schedule ↗ for St. Vrain Valley Schools
Poudre School DistrictFort Collins2026-27$58,000$62,472$68,815$91,874$114,099Schedule ↗ for Poudre School District
Boulder Valley School DistrictBoulder2026-27$63,075$71,284$69,129$88,821$140,381Schedule ↗ for Boulder Valley School District
Academy District 20Colorado Springs2026-27$52,800$62,440Not publishedNot publishedNot publishedSchedule ↗ for Academy District 20

10 districts shown

The district picture

Starting pay to top pay

Largest districts included in this guide, sorted by published top pay. Starting pay is the bachelor’s entry rate; top pay is the highest published maximum across degree lanes.

━ Bachelor’s start▨ Top pay · all degree lanes
Boulder Valley School District2026-27

BA start $63,075

Top $140,381

Aurora Public Schools2026-27

BA start $61,805

Top $127,750

Cherry Creek School District2026-27

BA start $62,000

Top $126,184

Denver Public Schools2026-27

BA start $58,667

Top $125,235

Adams 12 Five Star Schools2026-27

BA start $61,000

Top $121,391

Poudre School District2026-27

BA start $58,000

Top $114,099

St. Vrain Valley Schools2026-27

BA start $65,300

Top $114,025

Douglas County School District2026-27

BA start $51,914

Top $108,643

Jeffco Public Schools2026-27

BA start $56,085

Top $101,886

Academy District 202026-27

BA start $52,800

Top Not published

Annual base salary on a shared zero-based scale. Top pay can require advanced qualifications and many years of service. Missing values are not zero.
View district chart data
Published district pay
DistrictYearBA startTop pay
Boulder Valley School District2026-27$63,075$140,381
Aurora Public Schools2026-27$61,805$127,750
Cherry Creek School District2026-27$62,000$126,184
Denver Public Schools2026-27$58,667$125,235
Adams 12 Five Star Schools2026-27$61,000$121,391
Poudre School District2026-27$58,000$114,099
St. Vrain Valley Schools2026-27$65,300$114,025
Douglas County School District2026-27$51,914$108,643
Jeffco Public Schools2026-27$56,085$101,886
Academy District 202026-27$52,800Not published

Experience & progression

How pay grows by step

Bachelor’s lane · 5 districts with numeric step data

$0k$25k$50k$75k$100k06131925Experience stepDenver Public Schools: step 1, $58,667Denver Public Schools: step 2, $59,980Denver Public Schools: step 3, $61,899Denver Public Schools: step 4, $63,822Denver Public Schools: step 5, $65,744Denver Public Schools: step 6, $67,664Denver Public Schools: step 7, $69,586Denver Public Schools: step 8, $71,507Denver Public Schools: step 9, $73,430Denver Public Schools: step 10, $75,351Denver Public Schools: step 11, $77,272Denver Public Schools: step 12, $79,194Denver Public Schools: step 13, $81,115Denver Public Schools: step 14, $83,036Denver Public Schools: step 15, $84,959Denver Public Schools: step 16, $86,881Denver Public Schools: step 17, $88,802Denver Public Schools: step 18, $90,722Denver Public Schools: step 19, $92,644Denver Public Schools: step 20, $94,565Jeffco Public Schools: step 1, $56,085Jeffco Public Schools: step 2, $57,488Jeffco Public Schools: step 3, $58,924Jeffco Public Schools: step 4, $60,398Jeffco Public Schools: step 5, $61,907Jeffco Public Schools: step 6, $63,455Jeffco Public Schools: step 7, $65,041Jeffco Public Schools: step 8, $66,668Jeffco Public Schools: step 9, $68,334Jeffco Public Schools: step 10, $70,042Jeffco Public Schools: step 11, $71,793Jeffco Public Schools: step 12, $73,589Jeffco Public Schools: step 13, $75,429Jeffco Public Schools: step 14, $77,314Jeffco Public Schools: step 15, $79,247Jeffco Public Schools: step 16, $81,228Jeffco Public Schools: step 17, $83,258Jeffco Public Schools: step 18, $85,340Jeffco Public Schools: step 19, $87,474Jeffco Public Schools: step 20, $89,660Jeffco Public Schools: step 21, $91,902Jeffco Public Schools: step 22, $94,199Douglas County School District: step 1, $51,914Douglas County School District: step 2, $53,212Douglas County School District: step 3, $54,542Douglas County School District: step 4, $55,906Douglas County School District: step 5, $57,303Douglas County School District: step 6, $58,736Douglas County School District: step 7, $60,057Douglas County School District: step 8, $61,409Douglas County School District: step 9, $62,790Douglas County School District: step 10, $64,203Douglas County School District: step 11, $65,648Douglas County School District: step 12, $67,125Douglas County School District: step 13, $68,467Douglas County School District: step 14, $69,837Douglas County School District: step 15, $71,233Douglas County School District: step 16, $72,658Douglas County School District: step 17, $74,111Douglas County School District: step 18, $75,594Cherry Creek School District: step 1, $62,000Cherry Creek School District: step 2, $62,753Cherry Creek School District: step 3, $63,835Cherry Creek School District: step 4, $64,916Cherry Creek School District: step 5, $65,998Cherry Creek School District: step 6, $67,080Cherry Creek School District: step 7, $69,437Cherry Creek School District: step 8, $72,129Cherry Creek School District: step 9, $74,820Cherry Creek School District: step 10, $77,512Cherry Creek School District: step 11, $80,203Cherry Creek School District: step 12, $83,723Cherry Creek School District: step 13, $83,723Cherry Creek School District: step 14, $83,723Cherry Creek School District: step 15, $83,723Cherry Creek School District: step 16, $83,723Cherry Creek School District: step 17, $83,723Aurora Public Schools: step 1, $61,805Aurora Public Schools: step 2, $62,884Aurora Public Schools: step 3, $63,963Aurora Public Schools: step 4, $65,041Aurora Public Schools: step 5, $66,120Aurora Public Schools: step 6, $68,400Aurora Public Schools: step 7, $71,858Aurora Public Schools: step 8, $75,316Aurora Public Schools: step 9, $78,458Aurora Public Schools: step 10, $80,765Aurora Public Schools: step 11, $83,069Aurora Public Schools: step 12, $84,798Aurora Public Schools: step 13, $85,950Aurora Public Schools: step 14, $87,103Aurora Public Schools: step 15, $88,256Aurora Public Schools: step 16, $89,408Aurora Public Schools: step 17, $90,561Aurora Public Schools: step 18, $91,714Aurora Public Schools: step 19, $92,464Aurora Public Schools: step 20, $93,214Aurora Public Schools: step 21, $93,962Aurora Public Schools: step 22, $94,539Aurora Public Schools: step 23, $95,116Aurora Public Schools: step 24, $95,690Aurora Public Schools: step 25, $96,844
  • Denver Public Schools2026-27
  • Jeffco Public Schools2026-27
  • Douglas County School District2026-27
  • Cherry Creek School District2026-27
  • Aurora Public Schools2026-27
Lines connect published observations, not estimated salaries for missing steps. A step is not always a year of service. District placement rules and schedule years vary.
View step progression data
Bachelor’s lane by published step
DistrictStepAnnual pay
Denver Public Schools1$58,667
Denver Public Schools2$59,980
Denver Public Schools3$61,899
Denver Public Schools4$63,822
Denver Public Schools5$65,744
Denver Public Schools6$67,664
Denver Public Schools7$69,586
Denver Public Schools8$71,507
Denver Public Schools9$73,430
Denver Public Schools10$75,351
Denver Public Schools11$77,272
Denver Public Schools12$79,194
Denver Public Schools13$81,115
Denver Public Schools14$83,036
Denver Public Schools15$84,959
Denver Public Schools16$86,881
Denver Public Schools17$88,802
Denver Public Schools18$90,722
Denver Public Schools19$92,644
Denver Public Schools20$94,565
Jeffco Public Schools1$56,085
Jeffco Public Schools2$57,488
Jeffco Public Schools3$58,924
Jeffco Public Schools4$60,398
Jeffco Public Schools5$61,907
Jeffco Public Schools6$63,455
Jeffco Public Schools7$65,041
Jeffco Public Schools8$66,668
Jeffco Public Schools9$68,334
Jeffco Public Schools10$70,042
Jeffco Public Schools11$71,793
Jeffco Public Schools12$73,589
Jeffco Public Schools13$75,429
Jeffco Public Schools14$77,314
Jeffco Public Schools15$79,247
Jeffco Public Schools16$81,228
Jeffco Public Schools17$83,258
Jeffco Public Schools18$85,340
Jeffco Public Schools19$87,474
Jeffco Public Schools20$89,660
Jeffco Public Schools21$91,902
Jeffco Public Schools22$94,199
Douglas County School District1$51,914
Douglas County School District2$53,212
Douglas County School District3$54,542
Douglas County School District4$55,906
Douglas County School District5$57,303
Douglas County School District6$58,736
Douglas County School District7$60,057
Douglas County School District8$61,409
Douglas County School District9$62,790
Douglas County School District10$64,203
Douglas County School District11$65,648
Douglas County School District12$67,125
Douglas County School District13$68,467
Douglas County School District14$69,837
Douglas County School District15$71,233
Douglas County School District16$72,658
Douglas County School District17$74,111
Douglas County School District18$75,594
Cherry Creek School District1$62,000
Cherry Creek School District2$62,753
Cherry Creek School District3$63,835
Cherry Creek School District4$64,916
Cherry Creek School District5$65,998
Cherry Creek School District6$67,080
Cherry Creek School District7$69,437
Cherry Creek School District8$72,129
Cherry Creek School District9$74,820
Cherry Creek School District10$77,512
Cherry Creek School District11$80,203
Cherry Creek School District12$83,723
Cherry Creek School District13$83,723
Cherry Creek School District14$83,723
Cherry Creek School District15$83,723
Cherry Creek School District16$83,723
Cherry Creek School District17$83,723
Aurora Public Schools1$61,805
Aurora Public Schools2$62,884
Aurora Public Schools3$63,963
Aurora Public Schools4$65,041
Aurora Public Schools5$66,120
Aurora Public Schools6$68,400
Aurora Public Schools7$71,858
Aurora Public Schools8$75,316
Aurora Public Schools9$78,458
Aurora Public Schools10$80,765
Aurora Public Schools11$83,069
Aurora Public Schools12$84,798
Aurora Public Schools13$85,950
Aurora Public Schools14$87,103
Aurora Public Schools15$88,256
Aurora Public Schools16$89,408
Aurora Public Schools17$90,561
Aurora Public Schools18$91,714
Aurora Public Schools19$92,464
Aurora Public Schools20$93,214
Aurora Public Schools21$93,962
Aurora Public Schools22$94,539
Aurora Public Schools23$95,116
Aurora Public Schools24$95,690
Aurora Public Schools25$96,844

The wider picture

Salary in context

Colorado average$72,781
NEA 2024-25 · Source
State minimumNot published
See state minimum terms below · Source
National average$74,495
Reporting year not published · Source
Average pay describes the workforce; a minimum is a floor subject to state rules. These measures can cover different years and are not equivalent starting offers.
View salary context data
State and national salary measures
MeasureAmountContext
Colorado average$72,781NEA 2024-25
State minimumNot publishedSee state minimum terms below
National average$74,495Reporting year not published

State minimum salary

Colorado has no statewide minimum teacher salary; each district sets its own salary schedule. The legislature's own findings in SB 21-172 noted district minimum teacher salaries ranged from about $25,000 to about $53,000 in 2020-21. NEA average salary and average starting salary are FY 2024-25. District enrollment is fall 2025 (2025-26) PK-12 pupil membership from the Colorado Department of Education; the Charter School Institute is excluded because it is not a school district. All district figures are 2026-27.

Read the state minimum source ↗

Before you compare offers

Match the school year, degree lane and credited experience. The published maximum is not a promise of starting placement. Confirm contract days, supplements and eligibility in each district’s official schedule.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I find Colorado district salary schedules?

Use the district comparison table on this page to open a district guide and its official salary schedule. Each source is linked with a verification date.

Does a master’s degree change the salary?

Check the master’s lane in the district’s published schedule. Degree supplements and placement rules vary; a missing value here does not mean there is no additional pay.

Sources and last checked

Last verified

Keep exploring

Compare more states

ArizonaAlabamaCaliforniaFlorida