Who is exempt
Executives, supervisors, administrators and professionals meeting the salary test; highly paid non-manual staff earning 2.25x that salary (about $130,014); some salespeople, computer professionals, drivers, camp staff and property managers. Source: cdle.colorado.gov↗ (opens in a new tab)
Comp time instead of overtime
Not allowed. Employers cannot give time off instead of required overtime pay. Source: cdle.colorado.gov↗ (opens in a new tab)
Industry-specific rules
Agricultural overtime starts after 48 hours a week (56 at some highly seasonal sites). Some health, ski and heavy vehicle jobs are partly or fully exempt. Source: cdle.colorado.gov↗ (opens in a new tab)
Penalties
Fines for retaliation; employers who fail to post or give the COMPS notice can lose credits, deductions or exemptions. Individuals who control the work can be personally liable. Source: cdle.colorado.gov↗ (opens in a new tab)
Recent changes
The 2026 COMPS Order (effective 1 January 2026) raised the exempt salary threshold to $57,784 a year and the minimum wage to $15.16 an hour. Source: cdle.colorado.gov↗ (opens in a new tab)
The law and where to check
The law: Colorado Overtime and Minimum Pay Standards (COMPS) Order, 7 CCR 1103-1, Rule 4 (opens in a new tab)
The agency: Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Division of Labor Standards and Statistics (opens in a new tab)
What federal law says
The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek for non-exempt employees. Federal law has no daily overtime. The federal salary level for most exempt staff is $684 a week. Where state and federal rules differ, follow the rule that gives the employee more. Source: U.S. Department of Labor↗ (opens in a new tab) Source: U.S. DOL — salary levels↗ (opens in a new tab)
Free tool: work out overtime pay with our State Overtime Calculator.
Overtime checklist for Colorado employers
A simple order of work, based on the rules above. It is not a legal checklist.
- Decide which employees are non-exempt, and check exempt staff meet the salary and duties tests.
- Set your workweek (a fixed, repeating 7-day period).
- Track all hours worked, including daily hours if your state has daily overtime.
- Pay overtime at 1.5 times the regular rate, including bonuses where required.
- Use our free State Overtime Calculator to check the numbers.
- Keep time and pay records.
More Colorado employment law guides
- All Colorado employment laws
- Colorado final paycheck law
- Colorado paid sick leave law
- Colorado meal and rest break laws
- Colorado pay frequency law
- Colorado vacation and PTO payout law
- Colorado new hire reporting
- Colorado at-will exceptions
Overtime laws in other states
See every state on one page, or pick a state:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Sources
All official government sources, last checked October 19, 2026.
Disclaimer: This guide provides general information based on publicly available official sources and is for information only. It is not legal, tax, payroll or employment-law advice and does not guarantee compliance with federal, state or local requirements. Rules can depend on your location, industry, contracts and other circumstances, and laws change. Always check the official source, the relevant government agency or a qualified professional before making a decision. MadyHR.ai accepts no responsibility for any action taken based on this page.
Last checked: . Every rule and source link on this page was checked against the official government source on this date. Laws change, so always open the source link before you act.