Denver’s minimum wage is going up in the new year.
The legal minimum wage in the City and County of Denver will go up 52 cents from $18.29 an hour to $18.81 on Wednesday.
The city adjusts the minimum wage annually to help residents keep up with the rising cost of living. The local ordinance was passed in November 2019 to help keep and attract workers. The calculation is based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation tracker for common basket goods known as the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers.
The metro Denver area’s costs went up 2.84% over the year, according to federal data. It’s less than the 5.8% that set 2024’s wage adjustment and nearly 9% for 2023’s adjustment.
Denver calculated the annual rate comparing the first half of 2024 to the first half of the previous year for 2025’s new minimum wage.
The Denver minimum wage for tipped workers in food and beverage businesses will go up to $15.79 an hour, as long as they earn $3.02 in tips for each hour worked.