SOC 19-2021 · Fort Collins-Loveland, CO metro

Atmospheric and Space Scientists Salary in Fort Collins, CO

The average salary for atmospheric and space scientists in Fort Collins, Colorado is $112,630 a year ($54.15 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $110,960: half of the 250 people in this job in the Fort Collins-Loveland, CO metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 6% more than the U.S. average for this job ($106,110).

$112,630average per year

$54.15 / hourMedian $110,960Take-home ≈ $83,818

  • $69K10th
  • $88K25th
  • $111KMedian
  • $140K75th
  • $159K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

250people in this job
+6%vs U.S. average
#3 of 4Colorado metros
101cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Atmospheric and Space Scientists pay range in Fort Collins

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $68,770 a year or less, while the top 10% make $158,840 or more. The middle half of atmospheric and space scientists in Fort Collins earn between $87,850 and $140,380.

  • $69K10th
  • $88K25th
  • $111KMedian
  • $140K75th
  • $159K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$112,630$9,386$54.15
Median$110,960$9,247$53.35
Entry level (25th percentile)$87,850$7,321$42.24
Experienced (75th percentile)$140,380$11,698$67.49

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Atmospheric and Space Scientists pay in Fort Collins vs. Colorado and the U.S.

Atmospheric and space scientists in Fort Collins earn about the same as the Colorado average ($115,630) and 6% more than the U.S. average ($106,110). At the median the gap is +12% against the U.S. median of $99,070.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Fort Collins$112,630$110,960$68,770$158,840250
Colorado$115,630$104,670$76,110$165,5001,150
United States$106,110$99,070$53,060$161,89010,000

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Atmospheric and Space Scientists salary after taxes in Fort Collins

On the average salary of $112,630, a single filer in Fort Collins takes home about $83,818 a year, or $6,985 a month and $3,224 every two weeks. Taxes take 26% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.

Colorado paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Fort Collins a good place for atmospheric and space scientists? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Fort Collins area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 101.1), so the average $112,630 buys what about $111,374 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Fort Collins ($55,310). A typical home costs $556,500, or 4.9 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $112,630 is worth in another city

Atmospheric and Space Scientists salary in other Colorado cities

Fort Collins ranks 3rd of 4 Colorado metro areas for this job; Boulder pays the most ($123,680).

All Atmospheric and Space Scientists salaries in Colorado

Highest-paying cities for atmospheric and space scientists

Chicago, IL pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($182,890).

Atmospheric and Space Scientists salary by city

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Atmospheric and Space Scientists salary in Fort Collins: questions

How much do atmospheric and space scientists make an hour in Fort Collins?

$54.15 an hour on average, and $53.34 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level atmospheric and space scientists salary in Fort Collins?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $68,770 a year and the 25th percentile is $87,850, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the atmospheric and space scientists take-home pay in Fort Collins?

About $83,818 a year ($6,985 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $112,630. Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.

Do atmospheric and space scientists earn more in Fort Collins than elsewhere?

The average here is 6% more than the U.S. average for this job ($106,110).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 19-2021; area Fort Collins-Loveland, CO (22660). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.7%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 22.99, this job is 23.0 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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