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What does a Civil Engineers salary really buy you in Colorado?
Colorado is 2.3% pricier than the US averageData: BLS OEWS 2025 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-05-19
Colorado's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 102.3, meaning prices are 2.3% higher the national average. A Civil Engineers earning $101,420 in Colorado has the equivalent purchasing power of $99,139 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Colorado's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $76,810 | $75,083 | $-1,726 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $82,830 | $80,967 | $-1,862 |
| Median (P50) | $101,420 | $99,139 | $-2,280 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $132,200 | $129,227 | $-2,972 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $165,230 | $161,515 | $-3,714 |
Colorado's cost of living is close to the national average, so $101,420 keeps most of its value at $99,139 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
With an RPP of 102.3, Colorado is within a few percent of the national cost-of-living baseline. Salary adjustment for Civil Engineers is therefore minor — what you earn is close to what you'd keep in real purchasing power.
After adjusting for Colorado's cost of living, $101,420 nominal nets out to $99,140 in real purchasing power — a small 2.2% loss. The state's cost profile is close enough to average that COL alone shouldn't drive location decisions for this Civil Engineers.
Colorado's rank of #30 of 51 states means real purchasing power for Civil Engineers trails the national half-way line.
Where does Civil Engineers salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Colorado ranks #30 out of 51 states for Civil Engineers after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Civil Engineers take-home pay in Colorado after taxes →
A Civil Engineers in Colorado earns a median salary of $101,420 per year. After adjusting for Colorado's cost of living (RPP=102.3), the real purchasing power is $99,139 — a -2.2% difference.
Colorado's cost of living is 2.3% higher than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Colorado is 102.3 (US average = 100).
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure differences in price levels across states. They are expressed as a percentage of the national average (US = 100). Higher RPP means higher cost of living.
The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Civil Engineers in Colorado: $101,420 x (100 / 102.3) = $99,139. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
Partially — a Civil Engineers's nominal salary of $101,420 in Colorado has 2.2% less purchasing power due to higher living costs. The real value is $99,139. However, Colorado may offer better career opportunities, networking, and industry access.
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