Occupational profile · 2025
Colorado
Colorado employs 2,873,900 people. The work it does most unusually is atmospheric and space scientists, at 6.2× the national concentration — 1,150 jobs paying a median of $104,670.
What Colorado is distinctive for
Detailed occupations ranked by location quotient. A location quotient is an occupation’s share of a state’s jobs divided by its share of the nation’s. One means the state looks like the country; two means twice the concentration. It is a measure of distinctiveness, not of quality, size or pay. Bars use a logarithmic scale so the lower ranks stay legible beside the leader.
- 1Atmospheric and Space Scientists1,150 jobs · median $104,6706.2×
- 2Information and Record Clerks, All Other13,960 jobs · median $52,6005.6×
- 3Computer Network Architects16,380 jobs · median $139,2304.9×
- 4Cartographers and Photogrammetrists1,220 jobs · median $86,9604.6×
- 5Petroleum Engineers1,390 jobs · median $172,1904.2×
- 6Plant and System Operators, All Other1,050 jobs · median $51,6004.0×
- 7Motor Vehicle Operators, All Other3,430 jobs · median $39,1904.0×
- 8Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials1,120 jobs · median $44,2303.8×
- 9Real Estate Brokers3,280 jobs · median $79,9703.8×
- 10Sales and Related Workers, All Other6,340 jobs · median $60,6703.7×
- 11Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas2,930 jobs · median $60,2903.7×
- 12Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers1,480 jobs · median $114,4103.4×
What Colorado is made of
All twenty-two occupational groups by headcount, with the concentration figure beside each. Most states look broadly alike in this view — that is the finding, not a flaw in it.
| Occupation group | Share of state employment | Jobs | vs national | Median wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office and Administrative Support Occupations | 301,320 | 0.92× | $51,050 | |
| Sales and Related Occupations | 296,260 | 1.19× | $47,440 | |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations | 269,820 | 1.07× | $37,810 | |
| Business and Financial Operations Occupations | 264,100 | 1.36× | $93,410 | |
| Transportation and Material Moving Occupations | 217,920 | 0.86× | $47,060 | |
| Management Occupations | 157,850 | 0.77× | $149,760 | |
| Educational Instruction and Library Occupations | 155,440 | 0.92× | $62,170 | |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations | 154,720 | 0.85× | $98,030 | |
| Computer and Mathematical Occupations | 136,010 | 1.40× | $128,090 | |
| Construction and Extraction Occupations | 135,410 | 1.14× | $61,190 | |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations | 113,320 | 1.01× | $62,570 | |
| Healthcare Support Occupations | 106,580 | 0.73× | $44,560 | |
| Production Occupations | 94,160 | 0.59× | $49,710 | |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations | 88,630 | 1.05× | $42,180 | |
| Personal Care and Service Occupations | 77,640 | 1.29× | $40,440 | |
| Architecture and Engineering Occupations | 72,990 | 1.51× | $103,280 | |
| Protective Service Occupations | 65,970 | 0.95× | $56,930 | |
| Community and Social Service Occupations | 56,770 | 1.15× | $61,160 | |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations | 41,090 | 1.09× | $65,810 | |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations | 35,940 | 1.32× | $84,960 | |
| Legal Occupations | 26,740 | 1.11× | $119,510 | |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations | 5,200 | 0.65× | $40,190 |
Elsewhere on Colorado
Blank cells are estimates BLS did not release, usually because too few employers reported. They are shown as gaps rather than filled. Detailed occupations are included only where at least 1,000 people are employed, below which a quotient is survey noise. A wage marked “$239,200 or more” is censored at source: BLS does not publish medians above that figure, so the number is a floor rather than the wage. A work of the U.S. government: no copyright subsists (17 U.S.C. §105). BLS OEWS ↗