HR Assistant salary in Denver-Aurora, CO
Budget above the national rate here. The median HR assistant in Denver-Aurora earned $56,100 a year in May 20251, 2.2% above the Colorado statewide median of $54,880 and 10.8% above the US median of $50,610. Nationally that is #28 of 384 areas, in the top tenth. With about 950 HR assistants, 57% of the Colorado total, no area in Colorado employs more.
BLS occupation 43-4161, area Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Denver-Aurora against Colorado and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora, CO | $40,210 | $56,100 | $77,110 | |
| Colorado | $39,630 | $54,880 | $73,890 | |
| United States | $37,340 | $50,610 | $68,280 |
HR assistants at the 90th percentile earn $77,110, 1.9 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 1.8. The middle half of HR assistants in Denver-Aurora earns $48,660–$64,980. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $16,320 wide, wider than in Colorado as a whole ($15,410) and the US ($15,770), so what a HR assistant earns in Denver-Aurora depends more on the employer.
What to budget for an HR assistant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $40,210 | $3,351 | $19.33 | $51,884 |
| 25th percentile | $48,660 | $4,055 | $23.39 | $62,787 |
| Median | $56,100 | $4,675 | $26.97 | $72,387 |
| 75th percentile | $64,980 | $5,415 | $31.24 | $83,845 |
| 90th percentile | $77,110 | $6,426 | $37.07 | $99,497 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $8,880 a year in pay and about $11,458 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $7,440 in pay. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $50,610 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in Denver-Aurora, and the Colorado statewide median of $54,880 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Denver-Aurora
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $16,287 to the $56,100 median and brings it to $72,387 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for HR assistants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Denver-Aurora
Of the 17 roles we track in Denver-Aurora, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between bookkeepers ($57,510) and e-commerce order specialists ($49,840). Project Coordinator is the highest at $116,740.
| Role | Median | vs HR assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +15.4% | 1,580 | |
| Bookkeeper | +2.5% | 14,100 | |
| HR Assistant | this role | 950 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -11.2% | 1,320 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -11.3% | 15,350 |
Measured against the US median, HR assistants rank #10 of the 17 roles we track in Denver-Aurora (+10.8%), between payroll specialists (+11.2%) and recruiters (+8.7%). The typical role here is at +11.2%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. HR assistants hold 0.5% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Denver-Aurora, 0.5% across Colorado and 0.6% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Colorado
Across the 9 areas of Colorado with data for this job, the median runs from $48,690 in the Eastern and Southern Colorado nonmetro area to $59,690 in Boulder, a gap of $11,000 a year. No other area in Colorado has as many HR assistants, and 6 of the other 8 pay less.
| Area | Median | vs Denver-Aurora | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder, CO | +6.4% | 80 | |
| Grand Junction, CO | +1.9% | 40 | |
| Denver-Aurora, CO | this area | 950 | |
| Greeley, CO | -3.4% | 80 | |
| Northwest Colorado (Nonmetro) | -3.5% | 60 | |
| Colorado Springs, CO | -9.0% | 240 | |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | -9.4% | 100 |
Denver-Aurora against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Denver-Aurora is #19 of 382 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside Colorado, Bremerton-Silverdale and Minneapolis-St. Paul pay just above Denver-Aurora and San Diego-Chula Vista and Modesto just below. All four are within $570 a year of the median in Denver-Aurora. Of the three markets with about as many HR assistants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Denver-Aurora | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +1.0% | 2,350 | pay | |
| Bremerton-Silverdale, WA | +0.1% | 100 | pay | |
| Denver-Aurora, CO | this area | 950 | ||
| San Diego-Chula Vista, CA | -0.5% | 1,240 | pay | |
| Modesto, CA | -0.6% | 190 | pay | |
| Memphis, TN-MS | -13.6% | 960 | jobs | |
| Indianapolis-Carmel, IN | -13.7% | 890 | jobs | |
| Las Vegas-Henderson, NV | -14.6% | 970 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an HR assistant in Denver-Aurora, CO?
About $72,387 a year at the median, or $6,032 a month: $56,100 in pay plus about $16,287 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do HR assistants earn in Denver-Aurora?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $56,100 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $40,210, the 90th $77,110, and the middle half earned $48,660 to $64,980.
Is Denver-Aurora cheaper than the rest of Colorado for HR assistants?
No, it costs more: a median of $56,100 against $54,880 statewide. The next area up in Colorado is Grand Junction at $57,160, the next down Greeley at $54,170.
How many HR assistants work in Denver-Aurora?
BLS counts about 950 in the May 2025 survey. That is 57% of the Colorado total of 1,660. No other area in Colorado has as many.
Does an HR assistant cost more than an e-commerce order specialist in Denver-Aurora?
Yes: $6,260 a year more at the median. The medians are $56,100 and $49,840.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-4161: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.