The City & County of Denver’s minimum wage will increase to $18.29 on January 1, 2024, up $1.00 from 2023. The minimum wage for tipped food and beverage workers will increase to $15.27 per hour, provided the worker earns at least $3.02 in actual tips. Any business operating within the City & County of Denver must comply with the minimum wage laws. Employers should not rely on mailing addresses to determine whether to pay Denver’s local minimum wage. They should confirm if work was performed within the boundaries of the City & County of Denver by utilizing the Denver Minimum Wage-Regional Address Finder. Denver’s minimum wage ordinance requires annual adjustments to ensure wages keep up with the city’s cost of living. The Auditor’s Office stated, “Every dollar matters for workers and businesses in a competitive job market like Denver’s.” Denver’s wage protections help the city remain attractive for workers and businesses.
The City of Edgewater has enacted a law to raise the minimum to $15.02, starting on January 1, 2024, and established the following pre-set rates: $16.52 for 2025, $18.17 for 2026, $19.99 for 2027 and $21.99 for 2028. Employers of food and beverage workers in the city may claim a tip credit of up to $3.02 per hour based on regular and actual tips received by workers from 2024 to 2028. Starting in 2029, the minimum wage will be adjusted annually either by Edgewater’s prior year’s minimum wage adjusted for inflation or to match the city of Denver’s minimum wage, whichever is greater), Employers must post a notice of the current minimum wage in a prominent and conspicuous place for all employees, including the specific language proposed by the city.
The 2023 minimum wage for the State of Colorado is $13.65. For tipped employees, the minimum wage rate is $10.63 per hour to the extent that adding tips raises total pay to the full minimum wage. Colorado’s minimum wage is expected to increase on January 1, 2024, in line with the cost of living (COLA) to an amount not yet determined.
The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.
As minimum wage laws in Colorado continue to change, employers operating in multiple jurisdictions must check their local governments about any possible minimum wage increases and ensure compliance with all applicable laws at the local, state, and federal levels.
Resources:
- https://denvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Agencies-Departments-Offices-Directory/Auditors-Office/Denver-Labor/Citywide-Minimum-Wage/
- https://www.edgewaterco.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/2280/638217360278982210
- https://www.littler.com/publication-press/publication/new-edgewater-colorado-minimum-wage-ordinance-highlights-compliance