Believe it or Not, Colorado Pays Better Than Most Other States

Across the U.S. employees are feeling major pain in their wallets from rising costs, but can Coloradans really complain when they live in one of the highest-paid states?

According to a report from Axios, Colorado's minimum wage is better than 40 other states in America, but that doesn't mean we're making it rain money here.

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What is Colorado's Minimum Wage?

In 2022, the state of Colorado implemented a new minimum wage of $12.56 an hour. The federal minimum wage in the United States is only $7.25 an hour and has remained unchanged since 2009, despite inflation.

Even back in 2009, the state of Colorado's minimum wage was higher than the federal minimum wage at $7.28 an hour.

How Does Colorado's Minimum Wage Compare?

The state of Colorado has a higher minimum wage than the majority of other states in America with only 9 states reporting a higher minimum wage.

In fact, only 26.8% of Coloradans make $15 per hour or less. According to U.S. Census Bureau data analyzed by Oxfam America, the national average of workers making $15 an hour or less is 31.9%.

The Living Wage VS Minumum Wage Debate

While some believe that minimum wage is for unskilled laborers, that belief is completely wrong.

Franklin Delanor Roosevelt established a minimum wage in 1938 with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

The FLSA was created to give a  "minimum standard of living necessary for health, efficiency, and the general well-being of workers."

Basically, a minimum wage should provide a decent living to all workers, not some, not only highly skilled laborers, not just educated workers, but all.