SOC 15-1221 · Boulder, CO metro

Computer and Information Research Scientists Salary in Boulder, CO

The average salary for computer and information research scientists in Boulder, Colorado is $178,280 a year ($85.71 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $169,400: half of the 90 people in this job in the Boulder, CO metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 12% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($159,462).

$178,280average per year

$85.71 / hourMedian $169,400Take-home ≈ $125,984

  • $122K10th
  • $133K25th
  • $169KMedian
  • $215K75th
  • $215K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

90people in this job
+12%vs U.S. metro average
#1 of 3Colorado metros
105cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Computer and Information Research Scientists pay range in Boulder

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $121,850 a year or less, while the top 10% make $215,090 or more. The middle half of computer and information research scientists in Boulder earn between $132,770 and $215,090.

  • $122K10th
  • $133K25th
  • $169KMedian
  • $215K75th
  • $215K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$178,280$14,857$85.71
Median$169,400$14,117$81.44
Entry level (25th percentile)$132,770$11,064$63.83
Experienced (75th percentile)$215,090$17,924$103.41

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

Computer and Information Research Scientists salary after taxes in Boulder

On the average salary of $178,280, a single filer in Boulder takes home about $125,984 a year, or $10,499 a month and $4,846 every two weeks. Taxes take 29% 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.

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Is Boulder a good place for computer and information research scientists? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Boulder area are 5% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 105.2), so the average $178,280 buys what about $169,464 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Boulder ($69,580). A typical home costs $727,954, or 4.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $178,280 is worth in another city

Computer and Information Research Scientists salary in other Colorado cities

Boulder ranks 1st of 3 Colorado metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Computer and Information Research Scientists salaries in Colorado

Highest-paying cities for computer and information research scientists

Portland, OR pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($223,160).

Computer and Information Research Scientists salary by city

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Computer and Information Research Scientists salary in Boulder: questions

How much do computer and information research scientists make an hour in Boulder?

$85.71 an hour on average, and $81.44 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level computer and information research scientists salary in Boulder?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $121,850 a year and the 25th percentile is $132,770, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the computer and information research scientists take-home pay in Boulder?

About $125,984 a year ($10,499 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $178,280. Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.

Do computer and information research scientists earn more in Boulder than elsewhere?

The average here is 12% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($159,462).

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 15-1221; area Boulder, CO (14500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.5%.
  • 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 1.93, this job is 1.9 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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