Nursing Jobs in Colorado

Colorado is much more than hot springs, sand dunes, and mountain ranges. Did you know it’s among the top five healthiest states and has the lowest obesity level in the country? Perhaps that’s because nearly 74% of adult residents live within a half mile of a park. If you’re searching for nursing jobs in Colorado, read on to see what else the Centennial State has in store for you both on and off the job.

Quick Facts About Colorado Nursing Jobs

• Does Colorado belong to the Nurse Licensure Compact? Yes. 
• How much do nurses make in Colorado? The average annual salary for RN jobs in Colorado is $86,590, compared to the national average RN salary of $89,010.
• Where can I learn more about Colorado requirements for nurse licenses? Check out the Colorado Board of Nursing for the latest information regarding applications, renewals, verifications, and more.

What to Know When Pursuing Nursing Jobs in Colorado

More than 5.7 million people live in Colorado. The median age of residents is 37 — on par with the nation’s average — and people ages 65 and over make up nearly 16% of the population. There’s ample need for RNs, LPNs, and CNAs to provide care to all those residents. In fact, healthcare practitioners are among the top 10 occupations in Colorado with the most workers. You can choose to work full time, part time, contract, temporary, or per diem.

Curious about what your patient base might look like? There are slightly more men than women and just over half the population is married, with 34% of those couples having children. Single people with children make up 15% of residents. In addition, as home to the Air Force Academy and SpaceForce, Colorado has a sizable population of military personnel.

Be sure cultural competency is in your skill set. Around 69% of residents are White, 21% are Hispanic or Latino, 4% are Black, 3% are Asian, 2.5% are two or more races, and .5% are Indigenous. If you speak a second language — especially Spanish — it just might boost your odds of landing nurse jobs in Colorado because you’d be able to better communicate with non-English-speaking patients.

Working in Colorado

Colorado boasts a very robust economy with solid job opportunities. Some of the state’s leading employers are in the health and wellness space, including:

• Davita
• UC Health
• Children’s Hospital Colorado
• Gaia
• University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Two of the above institutions are especially notable. The University of Colorado School of Medicine is ranked among the nation’s best for primary care, research, family care, and pediatrics. In addition, Children’s Hospital Colorado is one the best children’s hospitals in the country, with distinctions for gastroenterology and GI surgery, diabetes and endocrinology, pulmonology and lung surgery, and cancer.

There are also plenty of job opportunities in public health clinics, as well as in skilled nursing organizations such as home health agencies, nursing homes, hospice, and assisted living communities.

One great aspect of working in Colorado nursing jobs is that your commute doesn’t have to be a headache. If you don’t want to drive the average 25 minutes it takes to get to work, avail yourself of the numerous transportation resources in the bigger areas. The Regional Transportation District connects hub cities via 170 bus routes, 12 rail lines, and many smaller specialty systems.

If you need child care assistance in Colorado, there’s lots of family support available. In addition, there are programs to keep your kids occupied after school and during the summer months. When it comes to other kids — your pets — you can easily find someone to look after them as well.

Living in Colorado

If you live and work in Colorado, you’ll want to take advantage of year-round opportunities to get outside and enjoy nature’s splendor. There are 43 state parks and 13 national parks that take up over a third of Colorado’s 100,000 square miles for all your hiking, biking, camping, fishing, and swimming needs. And yes, the winter sports are spectacular. Colorado is home to some of America’s best ski and snowboard resorts for all skill levels to enjoy. Often, the 28 resorts open earlier in the year and close later than any other in the country.

If arts and culture are more your speed, hit up venerable institutions like the Denver Art Museum and the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, and check out lesser known places like the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum (in Leadville) and the Latin American collection at Museo de las Americas (in Denver).

There are many venues throughout the state for theater, opera, and symphony performances. Of note is the Colorado Historic Opera Houses Circuit, which comprises five buildings in the mountain towns (Aspen, Central City, Leadville, Ouray, and Telluride). Don’t miss Boulder’s Shakespeare Festival and the year-round free programming at the Boulder Arts Alliance. And live music doesn’t get more grand than at Red Rocks Amphitheater, a National Historic Landmark located in Morrison.

While the overall climate in Colorado is semi-arid, this mountainous state gets an average of 63 inches of snow per year. If you live in the Front Range region, you can expect to enjoy all four seasons. July sees an average high of 86 degrees, and January has an average low of 13 degrees.

For all it offers, Colorado has a fairly reasonable cost of living index — around 120 (based on a national average index of 100). However, at $527,200, the median price of a home is considerably higher than in the rest of the country (around $338,100).

Find Great Nursing Jobs in Colorado on IntelyCare

Want to find the best-fitting RN, LPN, and CNA jobs? We can help. Get started on your IntelyCare application today, and review the many nursing jobs that are hiring right now.