Salary Data
DevOps Engineer Salary in Denver
$143,000
median salary, 8% above the national average
According to Orbit's 2026 salary analysis, the average DevOps Engineer salary in Denver is $143,000. Salaries range from $108,000 (25th percentile) to $184,000 (75th percentile), adjusted for Denver's cost of living.
Salary range
How Denver compares
Denver, CO
$143,000
Cost of living: 8% above average
National Average
$132,000
Denver is $11,000 above
DevOps Engineer job market in Denver
Denver market overview
Denver has emerged as a secondary tech hub with strong aerospace, telecom, and outdoor industry employers. The city attracts remote workers and relocating companies seeking lower costs than the coasts. Salaries have climbed steadily as national employers open satellite offices and compete for Denver's growing talent pool.
What drives DevOps Engineer salaries
Cloud platform depth (AWS, GCP, or Azure), infrastructure as code expertise, and Kubernetes orchestration skills are the main drivers. Engineers who can build and maintain CI/CD pipelines, implement security automation, and manage large scale production environments command the highest salaries. Multi cloud experience adds further premium.
Beyond base salary
Total compensation
Equity at tech companies adds $15,000 to $70,000 annually. On call compensation or stipends of $500 to $2,000 per month are common. Bonuses of 8 to 15% are typical. Cloud certification exam fees and training budgets are frequently included in benefits packages.
Tax considerations in Denver
Colorado has a flat 4.4% state income tax. Denver has no additional city income tax, making the overall tax burden lighter than most coastal metros.
Career progression
Junior DevOps engineers start at $80,000 to $105,000, progressing to mid level at $115,000 to $145,000 in two to three years. Senior DevOps engineers earn $145,000 to $185,000. Platform engineering leads and SRE managers at large companies can exceed $230,000 in total compensation.
Top industries in Denver
Negotiating in Denver
Position yourself as a remote talent anchor. Many companies pay near coastal rates for Denver based employees to save on office costs while retaining top performers.