BLS figures put the median pay for human resources managers in Boulder, CO, at $169,000 a year. It runs 29% above the national median of $130,585 for this occupation — pay here is notably stronger than the U.S. average. The middle 50% land between $138,060 and $233,430 — a 95,370 range that reflects differences in seniority, employer type, and specialization. The average (mean) of $192,760 comes in higher than the median, which usually means a share of high earners is pulling the average up. The catch: Boulder is roughly in line with the national cost of living (cost index 100 against a 100 baseline), so that headline number buys less than it would elsewhere. On an hourly basis that is about $81.25, useful for comparing contract or part-time offers.

For context, the national median for human resources managers across all U.S. metros in our data is $130,585.