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What does a Firefighters 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 Firefighters earning $74,170 in Colorado has the equivalent purchasing power of $72,502 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) | $47,000 | $45,943 | $-1,056 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $60,970 | $59,599 | $-1,370 |
| Median (P50) | $74,170 | $72,502 | $-1,667 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $101,260 | $98,983 | $-2,276 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $114,170 | $111,603 | $-2,566 |
Colorado's cost of living is close to the national average, so $74,170 keeps most of its value at $72,502 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 Firefighters 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, $74,170 nominal nets out to $72,502 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 Firefighters.
Ranked on COL-adjusted median pay for Firefighters, Colorado places #8 of 50 states — top quartile. Either nominal wages run high, cost of living runs low, or both.
Where does Firefighters salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Colorado ranks #8 out of 50 states for Firefighters after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Firefighters take-home pay in Colorado after taxes →
A Firefighters in Colorado earns a median salary of $74,170 per year. After adjusting for Colorado's cost of living (RPP=102.3), the real purchasing power is $72,502 — 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 Firefighters in Colorado: $74,170 x (100 / 102.3) = $72,502. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
Partially — a Firefighters's nominal salary of $74,170 in Colorado has 2.2% less purchasing power due to higher living costs. The real value is $72,502. However, Colorado may offer better career opportunities, networking, and industry access.
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