Updated
Updated · Bloomberg Tax · Aug 7Denver Raises 2027 Minimum Wage to $19.84 an Hour on CPI Adjustment
3 articles · Updated · Bloomberg Tax · Aug 7Summary
- $19.84 an hour will be Denver's minimum wage in 2027, up from $19.29 under the city's annual inflation-based adjustment announced Aug. 6.
- CPI changes drive the increase each year, tying the local wage floor to consumer-price movements rather than a fixed multiyear schedule.
- $16.82 will be the 2027 tipped minimum wage for food and beverage workers because Denver's tip credit remains fixed at $3.02.
- That tip credit does not apply outside food and beverage jobs, even when other workers also receive tips.
Insights
With Denver's 2027 minimum wage nearing $20, will local restaurants be forced to automate or risk closing their doors forever? Why did Denver quietly exclude non-restaurant tipped workers from its unique wage credit, and who really benefits from this loophole?