What Computer Network Architects earn in Denver County, CO
The median pay for Computer Network Architects in Denver County, CO is $139,230 per year, which works out to $66.94 per hour. The figure comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey for the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metropolitan area, the labor market that Denver County, CO belongs to. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than the median and half earn less, which makes it a sturdier yardstick than an average that a few very high earners can pull upward.
The mean wage is $146,350, which is 5.1% above the median, a sign that a group of high earners lifts the average. The survey counts about 10,260 people working in this occupation across the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metropolitan area, so the estimate rests on a substantial pool of workers. Denver County, CO has roughly 718,877 residents, according to the population figures used by the rent data.
The salary range, from entry level to top earners
Pay for Computer Network Architects in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metropolitan area is not one number. The lowest-paid tenth of workers earn up to $94,740 a year ($45.55 an hour), while the highest-paid tenth earn $206,270 or more ($99.17 an hour). That is a gap of $111,530 between the bottom and the top of the scale. The middle half of workers falls between $124,200 at the 25th percentile and $168,520 at the 75th percentile. A top-tier earner makes 2.2 times what someone at the bottom makes, so experience, certification and employer all matter.
What the hourly rate looks like
Employers quote this occupation by the hour or by the year, so here are both: $66.94 an hour or $139,230 a year at the median for Denver County, CO. Before any deductions, that is $11,603 a month, $5,355 every two weeks and $2,678 each week. After taxes the same job pays $48.38 per hour of take-home income, which is the number that actually has to cover rent and groceries.
How pay in Denver County, CO compares
Compared with the Colorado average
Pay for Computer Network Architects in Denver County, CO is in line with the statewide figure: $139,230 locally against an employment-weighted Colorado average of $139,202, a difference of only $28 (0.0%). Within Colorado, Denver County, CO already has the highest median we track for this job.
Compared with the national average
Nationally, Computer Network Architects earn an employment-weighted average of $138,975 across the contiguous United States, so $139,230 in Denver County, CO is essentially average. Keep in mind that a higher salary only helps if living costs do not rise faster, which is why the cost sections below matter as much as the headline number.
Where this job ranks in Denver County, CO
Among the 554 occupations with published wages in Denver County, CO, Computer Network Architects ranks number 36 by median pay, ahead of about 94% of them. The best-paying occupation we track here is Lawyers at $177,380 a year, which is $38,150 more than the median for Computer Network Architects.
From gross pay to take-home pay
Three separate tax bills sit between the gross salary and the bank account: federal income tax, FICA, and state income tax. For Computer Network Architects earning the Denver County, CO median of $139,230, they add up to $38,599. The result is $100,631 of take-home pay a year ($8,386 a month), based on a single filer using the standard deduction.
Put another way, of every $100 earned, about $28 goes to taxes and $72 reaches the paycheck. The overall effective tax rate is 27.7%.
Federal income tax
After the $15,750 standard deduction, taxable income is $123,480. Federal brackets are marginal, so only the slice of income above each threshold is taxed at the higher rate; the last dollars of this salary fall in the 24% bracket. The resulting federal income tax is $22,482, an effective 16.1% of gross pay, well below the 24% marginal rate because the lower brackets are cheaper.
Social Security and Medicare (FICA)
Payroll taxes are a flat percentage of wages. Social Security takes 6.2% up to a wage base of $176,100, which costs $8,632 on this salary. Medicare takes 1.45%, or $2,019. FICA totals $10,651, which is 7.7% of gross pay.
State income tax in Colorado
Colorado income tax on this salary is $5,466 a year, or 3.9% of gross pay, after the state's own deductions and exemptions are applied. That is 24% of the federal income tax bill, and it comes out to $456 a month. Local taxes such as county or city income taxes are not included, so a few jurisdictions may withhold slightly more.
A cross-check with IRS data for Denver County, CO
IRS Statistics of Income data for Denver County, CO show an average adjusted gross income of $114,627 per return and an average effective federal income tax rate of 17.4% across all filers. Filers in the $100,000 to under $200,000 bracket, where this salary falls, paid an average of 13.4%, compared with the 16.1% estimated here for a single filer taking the standard deduction. Gaps between the two reflect filing status, dependents, credits and other income, none of which a single-person wage estimate includes.
Cost of living in Denver County, CO
Take-home pay only means something next to what life costs. We price four basics for one adult in Denver County, CO: a one-bedroom apartment, food, home energy and gasoline. All of them are converted to annual figures first, then compared with the $100,631 of take-home pay.
Rent
Housing is the largest line in most budgets. For Denver County, CO, HUD sets the Fair Market Rent for a one-bedroom unit at $1,831 a month ($21,972 a year), and at $2,169 for two bedrooms. For Computer Network Architects, a one-bedroom absorbs 21.8% of take-home pay and 15.8% of gross pay.
Food
The USDA Thrifty Food Plan (August 2026) puts the cost of a nutritious home-cooked diet for an adult at about $3,436 a year, which is $286 a month or $66.07 a week. That equals 2.5% of gross pay for Computer Network Architects in Denver County, CO. It is a thrifty budget with no restaurant meals, so treat it as a floor.
Energy and gasoline
Using Colorado residential prices from the Energy Information Administration and national household averages for consumption, electricity costs about $1,576 a year and other home energy such as natural gas about $411, for $1,987 in total. Gasoline in Colorado averages $3.14 per gallon; at about 463 gallons a year (11,106 miles at 24 miles per gallon) fuel adds $1,451.
What is left over
Rent, food, energy and gasoline cost $28,846 a year in Denver County, CO. Subtract that from $100,631 of take-home pay and $71,785 remains, which is $5,982 a month of breathing room. That margin equals 51.6% of gross pay, a comfortable cushion by common budgeting rules.
Can Computer Network Architects afford to live in Denver County, CO?
The 30% rent guideline
A common rule of thumb says rent should stay under 30% of gross income. For a gross salary of $139,230 that ceiling is $3,481 a month. The one-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,831 is $1,650 under it, so rent fits the guideline. Put as a wage, covering a one-bedroom at the 30% guideline takes $35.21 an hour; the median for Computer Network Architects is $66.94, which is 90% above that mark. Another way to see it: at $48.38 of take-home pay an hour, a one-bedroom takes about 8.7 working hours every week.
Splitting a two-bedroom
Sharing a two-bedroom at $2,169 a month means $1,085 each. Compared with renting a one-bedroom alone, that saves $8,958 a year. With a roommate, the yearly margin after the basics becomes $80,743.
How fast you can save
At $5,982 a month of margin, building a $10,000 emergency fund would take about 2 months. Setting aside half of the margin stretches the same goal to about 4 months. These figures ignore interest, raises and any spending beyond the four basics.
Frequently asked questions about Computer Network Architects pay in Denver County, CO
How much do Computer Network Architects make per hour in Denver County, CO?
The median is $66.94 per hour, based on $139,230 a year over 2,080 hours. Hourly pay runs from about $45.55 at the 10th percentile to $99.17 at the 90th percentile.
How much do Computer Network Architects take home after taxes in Denver County, CO?
After federal income tax, FICA and state income tax, the median salary of $139,230 becomes $100,631 a year. That is $8,386 a month, $3,870 every two weeks or $1,935 a week.
How much tax do Computer Network Architects pay in Denver County, CO?
Total taxes are $38,599 a year, an effective rate of 27.7%: $22,482 federal income tax, $10,651 FICA and $5,466 Colorado income tax.
Do Computer Network Architects earn more in Denver County, CO than elsewhere in Colorado?
It is about the same. The local median of $139,230 is within 0.0% of the Colorado average of $139,202.
Can Computer Network Architects afford a one-bedroom apartment in Denver County, CO?
A one-bedroom costs $1,831 a month against take-home pay of $8,386, which is 21.8% of take-home pay. That meets the 30%-of-gross guideline, which allows up to $3,481 a month.
What is the monthly budget margin for Computer Network Architects in Denver County, CO?
About $5,982 a month ($71,785 a year) remains after a one-bedroom apartment, food, home energy and gasoline, which together cost $28,846 a year.
What hourly wage covers a one-bedroom in Denver County, CO at the 30% guideline?
$35.21 an hour for a full-time schedule, calculated as the $21,972 annual rent divided by 0.30 and by 2,080 hours. The median for Computer Network Architects is $66.94.
How we calculated these numbers
Wages are May 2025 medians from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metropolitan area; hourly-only values are annualized at 2,080 hours. Rents are HUD Fair Market Rents, food costs come from the USDA Thrifty Food Plan, and energy prices come from the Energy Information Administration. County-level tax statistics come from the IRS Statistics of Income.
Taxes use tax-year 2025 federal brackets, FICA rates and the Colorado rules for a single filer with wage income only. Figures are estimates for planning and comparison, not tax or financial advice, and they exclude local income taxes, benefits, retirement contributions and individual circumstances.