---
title: "Colorado vs Washington Overtime Laws & Pay Rules Comparison (2026 Legal Audit)"
source_url: "https://statepayrules.com/calculator/compare/colorado-vs-washington/"
canonical_url: "https://statepayrules.com/calculator/compare/colorado-vs-washington/"
retrieved_by: "AnswerRail Edge Engine v1.1.0-parity-v20 (https://answerrail.com)"
provenance: "Compiled for deterministic AI retrieval by AnswerRail Edge (RFC 9110 / RFC 9421)"
description: "Comprehensive statutory breakdown of Colorado vs Washington minimum wage ($14.81 vs $16.66), exempt salary thresholds, daily overtime rules, and meal break penalty pay."
rfc_compliance: "RFC 9110 / RFC 9309 / RFC 9421"
version: "1.1.0"
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verified_latency: "<15ms (Warm Edge Cache HIT) / 80-250ms (Cold AST Compile)"
---

> **Canonical Source:** [https://statepayrules.com/calculator/compare/colorado-vs-washington/](https://statepayrules.com/calculator/compare/colorado-vs-washington/)
>
> *Comprehensive statutory breakdown of Colorado vs Washington minimum wage ($14.81 vs $16.66), exempt salary thresholds, daily overtime rules, and meal break penalty pay.*

### Managing payroll or shift workers in Colorado?

Avoid Department of Labor non-compliance fines. Automate state-specific overtime, double-time rules, tip credits, and statutory tax withholdings with **Gusto Payroll Automation**.

## Interactive Colorado vs Washington Paycheck Calculator

Audit daily overtime rules, minimum wage floors, and shift structures in real time

California statutory minimum wage rules yield +$350.00/wk (+ $18,200/yr) more gross pay than Texas.

## Detailed Statutory Comparison Matrix (2026)

| Statutory Provision | Colorado (CO) | Washington (WA) |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Minimum Hourly Wage | $14.81/hr | $16.66/hr |
| Salaried Exempt Minimum Floor | $56,485/yr | $77,969/yr |
| Daily Overtime Threshold | > 12h daily (1.5x) | No daily OT (Weekly > 40h) |
| Tipped Minimum Cash Wage | $11.79/hr | $16.66/hr |
| Tip Credit Permission | Allowed (Max $3.02) | Prohibited (Full Min Wage Required) |
| Statutory Citation | 7 CCR 1103-1 COMPS Order #39 | RCW 49.46.020 |

### Open Colorado Calculator &rarr;

Calculate paycheck totals with Colorado overtime rates.

### Open Washington Calculator &rarr;

Calculate paycheck totals with Washington overtime rates.

### Help Colorado Coworkers Audit Unpaid Wage Violations

Over $3 Billion in statutory overtime, daily premiums, and meal break penalty pay goes uncollected every year. Share this free statutory utility with your team or shift coworkers.

### Automate Multi-State Payroll

Manage employees across Colorado and Washington with automated statutory withholdings.

## Compare Colorado vs Washington Payroll & Statutory Overtime

Audit 2026 state wage differences, daily vs weekly overtime rules, and salaried exempt thresholds between Colorado and Washington in seconds.

### Statutory Compliance Internal Mesh

#### Colorado Statutory Guides

- [Colorado Payday Laws →](https://statepayrules.com/payday-laws/colorado)
- [Colorado Meal & Rest Breaks →](https://statepayrules.com/break-laws/colorado)
- [Colorado Salaried Exempt Rules →](https://statepayrules.com/salaried-exempt/colorado)
- [Colorado Payroll Tax Rates →](https://statepayrules.com/payroll-taxes/colorado)

#### Compare Colorado Pay Rules

- [Colorado vs Wyoming →](https://statepayrules.com/calculator/compare/colorado-vs-wyoming)
- [Colorado vs Nebraska →](https://statepayrules.com/calculator/compare/colorado-vs-nebraska)
- [Colorado vs Kansas →](https://statepayrules.com/calculator/compare/colorado-vs-kansas)

#### Colorado Profession Tools

- [Colorado Registered Nurse →](https://statepayrules.com/calculator/colorado/registered-nurse)
- [Colorado Fast Food & Counter Worker →](https://statepayrules.com/calculator/colorado/fast-food-worker)
- [Colorado Construction Laborer →](https://statepayrules.com/calculator/colorado/construction-laborer)
- [Colorado Electrician →](https://statepayrules.com/calculator/colorado/electrician)

#### Davis-Bacon Prevailing Wages

- [LA County Prevailing Wage →](https://statepayrules.com/prevailing-wage/california/los-angeles-county)
- [Harris County TX Wage →](https://statepayrules.com/prevailing-wage/texas/harris-county)
- [Cook County IL Wage →](https://statepayrules.com/prevailing-wage/illinois/cook-county)

## Structured FAQ Summary (Schema.org Grounded)
- **What is the minimum wage in Colorado for 2026?** The 2026 statutory minimum wage in Colorado is $14.81 per hour under 7 CCR 1103-1 COMPS Order #39.
- **Does Colorado require daily overtime pay?** Colorado requires 1.5x daily overtime for shift hours exceeding 12 hours in a workday under 7 CCR 1103-1 COMPS Order #39.
- **Are employers in Colorado allowed to take a tip credit?** Yes, Colorado allows employers to take a maximum tip credit of $3.02/hr against tipped workers, requiring a minimum direct cash wage of $14.81/hr.
- **Which state has a higher minimum wage: Colorado or Washington?** Washington has a higher statutory minimum wage ($16.66/hr) compared to Colorado ($14.81/hr).
- **What is the difference in salaried exempt thresholds between Colorado and Washington?** In Colorado, the salaried exempt floor is $56,485/yr, whereas in Washington it is $77,969/yr (a difference of $21,484/yr).

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