How much does a CDL-A job in Colorado really pay, and how much of it do you keep? We pulled the numbers from our own job database and ran them through 2026 tax rates.
What Colorado CDL-A jobs pay right now
In our database there are 50 open CDL-A jobs that hire drivers in Colorado, and 43 of them list an average pay figure from the carrier.
| Weekly pay (carrier-reported average) | |
|---|---|
| Middle of the pack (median) | $1,200 |
| Lower quarter of jobs | $1,200 or less |
| Top quarter of jobs | $1,530 or more |
Other numbers worth knowing:
- 8 of these jobs get you home daily, 11 home weekly.
- 1 are local and 18 are dedicated.
- 4 accept brand-new CDL-A drivers.
Why Colorado is different
Most Colorado freight starts and ends around Denver, and many routes cross the mountains on I-70 or I-25. That makes winter driving, chain laws and mountain grades part of the job, so ask how the carrier handles closures and whether you are paid when a pass is shut. Denver also has a lot of local and regional distribution work.
What you keep after taxes
Take a driver in Colorado at the median: about $1,200 a week, 50 working weeks, so about $60,000 a year as a W-2 company driver, single, standard deduction.
| Per year | |
|---|---|
| Gross pay | $60,000 |
| Federal income tax | −$5,020 |
| Colorado state income tax | −$1,932 |
| Social Security + Medicare | −$4,590 |
| Take-home | $48,458 (about $969 a week) |
Colorado tax in short: a flat 4.4% state income tax in 2026, with a standard deduction that follows the federal one. Colorado also takes a small payroll premium for its paid family leave program, which is not in the table above. A few Colorado cities charge a small occupational tax.
For comparison, the same paycheck in Texas (no state income tax) would leave about $1,932 more a year. Want to run your own numbers, or compare two offers after taxes? Use our free pay calculator: pick your state and it shows the take-home for both offers, including 1099 jobs.
These are estimates for a single filer with no other income, before health insurance, 401(k) and local taxes. Your real numbers depend on your situation; this is not tax advice.
Where the jobs are
Browse open Colorado jobs by metro: Denver, or see all Colorado CDL-A jobs.
Sources: pay figures are carrier-reported averages from our job database (October 2026); federal brackets and standard deduction from the IRS 2026 inflation adjustments; state rates from the Tax Foundation's 2026 state income tax table; Social Security wage base from the SSA.
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