Marketing Specialist salary in Boulder, CO
Boulder is a higher-paying market for marketing specialists: the median of $97,600 a year1 is 4.9% above the Colorado statewide median of $93,050, and 23.9% above the US median of $78,760. Only 7 of 516 US areas pay more for this job. BLS counts about 3,130 people in this job here, 11% of the Colorado total.
BLS occupation 13-1161, area Boulder, CO. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Boulder against Colorado and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder, CO | $50,140 | $97,600 | $178,280 | |
| Colorado | $48,900 | $93,050 | $165,190 | |
| United States | $43,390 | $78,760 | $155,480 |
Marketing specialists at the 90th percentile earn $178,280, 3.6 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 3.6. The middle half of marketing specialists in Boulder earns $64,080–$134,990. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $70,910 wide, wider than in Colorado as a whole ($62,290) and the US ($49,960), so what a marketing specialist earns in Boulder depends more on the employer.
What to budget for a marketing specialist here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $50,140 | $4,178 | $24.11 | $64,697 |
| 25th percentile | $64,080 | $5,340 | $30.81 | $82,684 |
| Median | $97,600 | $8,133 | $46.92 | $125,935 |
| 75th percentile | $134,990 | $11,249 | $64.90 | $174,181 |
| 90th percentile | $178,280 | $14,857 | $85.71 | $230,039 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $37,390 a year in pay and about $48,245 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $33,520 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 $78,760 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in Boulder, and the Colorado statewide median of $93,050 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Boulder
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 $28,335 to the $97,600 median and brings it to $125,935 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 marketing specialists 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 Boulder
Of the 17 roles we track in Boulder, this one ranks #4 by median pay, between sales development representatives ($99,990) and recruiters ($86,200). Project Coordinator is the highest at $122,040.
| Role | Median | vs marketing specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountant | +2.4% | 2,380 | |
| Sales Development Representative | +2.4% | 3,230 | |
| Marketing Specialist | this role | 3,130 | |
| Recruiter | -11.7% | 1,480 | |
| Office Manager | -18.6% | 1,910 |
Measured against the US median, marketing specialists rank #2 of the 17 roles we track in Boulder (+23.9%), between sales development representatives (+42.9%) and data entry specialists (+20.8%). The typical role here is at +13.5%, so, measured against the US, marketing specialists cost more in Boulder than the area's general pay level would suggest. Marketing specialists hold 13.3% of the jobs in the 16 of these roles with a job count in Boulder, 8.8% across Colorado and 5.7% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Colorado
Across the 10 areas of Colorado with data for this job, the median runs from $63,640 in Grand Junction to $99,040 in Denver-Aurora, a gap of $35,400 a year. The one area in Colorado with more marketing specialists, Denver-Aurora, CO ($99,040), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs Boulder | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora, CO | +1.5% | 17,000 | |
| Boulder, CO | this area | 3,130 | |
| Colorado Springs, CO | -7.6% | 2,680 | |
| Greeley, CO | -12.1% | 780 | |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | -23.9% | 1,610 | |
| Northwest Colorado (Nonmetro) | -25.3% | 740 | |
| Pueblo, CO | -28.3% | 270 |
Boulder against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Boulder is #45 of 514 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside Colorado, Minneapolis-St. Paul and New York-Newark pay just above Boulder and Durham-Chapel Hill and Worcester just below. Of the three markets with about as many marketing specialists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Boulder | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark, NY-NJ | +3.0% | 79,290 | pay | |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +0.3% | 16,760 | pay | |
| Boulder, CO | this area | 3,130 | ||
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | -4.6% | 2,740 | pay | |
| Worcester, MA | -7.5% | 2,030 | pay | |
| Hartford-West Hartford, CT | -19.9% | 3,080 | jobs | |
| Oklahoma City, OK | -35.3% | 3,130 | jobs | |
| Provo-Orem, UT | -35.5% | 3,270 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a marketing specialist in Boulder, CO?
About $125,935 a year at the median, or $10,495 a month: $97,600 in pay plus about $28,335 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do marketing specialists earn in Boulder?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $97,600 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $50,140, the 90th $178,280, and the middle half earned $64,080 to $134,990.
Is Boulder cheaper than the rest of Colorado for marketing specialists?
No, it costs more: a median of $97,600 against $93,050 statewide. The next area up in Colorado is Denver-Aurora at $99,040, the next down Colorado Springs at $90,210.
How many marketing specialists work in Boulder?
BLS counts about 3,130 in the May 2025 survey. That is 11% of the Colorado total of 27,880. Only Denver-Aurora has more in Colorado.
Does a marketing specialist cost more than a recruiter in Boulder?
Yes: $11,400 a year more at the median. The medians are $97,600 and $86,200.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-1161: 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.