$8.50 an hour after taxes in Colorado
$8.50 an hour is $17,680 a year before tax at 40 hours a week. After 2026 federal, FICA and Colorado taxes:
You keep
$16,022
a year after taxes
- Every two weeks
- $616
- A month
- $1,335
- Effective tax rate
- 9.4%
CO A flat 4.4% income tax
| Line | Every two weeks | Year |
|---|---|---|
GROSS Gross pay |
$680.00 | $17,680.00 |
FED Federal income tax |
-$6.08 | -$158.00 |
OASDI Social Security tax |
-$42.16 | -$1,096.16 |
MED Medicare tax |
-$9.86 | -$256.36 |
ST Colorado income tax |
-$2.67 | -$69.52 |
PFML Colorado FAMLI (paid family & medical leave), employee share |
-$2.99 | -$77.79 |
NET Take-home pay | $616.24 | $16,022.17 |
$8.50 an hour per paycheck, month and day in Colorado
| Period | Gross | Taxes | Take-home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | $17,680 | -$1,658 | $16,022 |
| Month | $1,473 | -$138 | $1,335 |
| Every two weeks | $680 | -$64 | $616 |
| Week | $340 | -$32 | $308 |
| Day | $68 | -$6 | $62 |
Biweekly means 26 paychecks a year. A day is one of 260 working days (five a week). "Taxes and deductions" includes every line on the stub above.
If you work more or fewer hours
| Hours a week | Yearly gross | Yearly take-home |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | $8,840 | $8,125 |
| 25 | $11,050 | $10,156 |
| 30 | $13,260 | $12,187 |
| 35 | $15,470 | $14,218 |
| 40 | $17,680 | $16,022 |
| 45 (5 overtime) | $20,995 | $18,702 |
| 50 (10 overtime) | $24,310 | $21,382 |
From 2026, federal income tax exempts the overtime premium (the extra half of time-and-a-half) up to $12,500 a year for single filers. Social Security, Medicare and Colorado tax still apply to it in this estimate.
What $8.50 an hour affords in Colorado
- Rent at 30% of gross pay
- $442 a month
- Needs (50% of take-home)
- $668 a month
- Wants (30%)
- $401 a month
- Savings and debt (20%)
- $267 a month
The 30% rule is the benchmark HUD uses for housing cost burden. The 50/30/20 split applies to the $1,335 monthly take-home figure above.
How Colorado compares
Colorado taxes wages at a flat 4.4%. On $8.50 an hour ($17,680 a year) the state takes $70 in income tax (0.4% of gross) plus $78 in required state payroll contributions (Colorado FAMLI (paid family & medical leave), employee share), the 28th lowest of 51 jurisdictions.
| State | State taxes | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $147 | $16,022 |
| Kansas | $256 | $15,914 |
| Nebraska | $91 | $16,079 |
| New Mexico | $0 | $16,169 |
| Oklahoma | $250 | $15,919 |
| Utah | $0 | $16,169 |
| Wyoming | $0 | $16,169 |
Questions people ask about $8.50 an hour in Colorado
How much is $8.50 an hour a year after taxes in Colorado?
Working 40 hours a week for 52 weeks, $8.50 an hour is $17,680 before tax. After $158 federal income tax, $1,353 Social Security and Medicare, and $147 in Colorado state taxes, you take home $16,022 a year as a single filer in 2026.
How much is $8.50 an hour biweekly after taxes in Colorado?
$8.50 an hour is $680 gross every two weeks. After taxes a biweekly paycheck comes to about $616.
$8.50 an hour is how much a month?
$8.50 an hour is $1,473 a month before tax and about $1,335 after tax in Colorado, averaged over 12 months.
How much rent can I afford on $8.50 an hour?
The 30% rule puts rent at $442 a month on $1,473 gross. Budgeting from take-home pay with 50/30/20, all needs including rent get $668.
How much is $8.50 an hour with overtime in Colorado?
At 50 hours a week (10 hours at $12.75), you earn $24,310 a year and keep $21,382. The 2026 federal overtime deduction takes $2,210 of overtime premium out of federal taxable income; Social Security and Medicare still apply.
How much Colorado state tax comes out of $8.50 an hour?
$70 a year, or $3 per biweekly paycheck, in Colorado income tax, plus $78 a year in state payroll contributions. Local income taxes, where they exist, are not included.
Try your own numbers
Sources and assumptions
Tax year 2026. Annual tax for a filer with no dependents, no other income and no credits, working 52 weeks. Hours over 40 a week are paid at 1.5×. Local income taxes are not included: Denver, Aurora, Greenwood Village, Glendale and Sheridan levy monthly occupational privilege taxes (flat dollar amounts; excluded). How we calculate.
- IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32: federal brackets and standard deduction (retrieved 2026-09-26)
- Social Security Administration: 2026 wage base; IRS: Medicare and Additional Medicare Tax
- Colorado tax source (retrieved 2026-09-26)