Metro Job Market Pulse · General Market Conditions · October 2026
General Market Conditions Labor Market Report: Colorado Springs, CO MSA — October 2026
Colorado Springs: strong postings, flat payrolls, shrinking labor pool.
Colorado Springs added only 200 jobs in September against a 4.5% metro unemployment rate, even as the metro led Colorado in job postings growth at 16% and statewide labor force participation hit a 46-year low of 65.2%.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Metro job growth, September: 200 jobs — vs. 100 in August; 331,600 total nonfarm
- Metro unemployment rate: 4.5% — vs. 3.8% El Paso County mid-year, 4.1% state
- Colorado labor force participation: 65.2% — Lowest since September 1979
- Metro wage gap vs. national median: -9.9% — El Paso County vs. U.S.; -15.8% vs. CO average
Key takeaways
Job counts and tax receipts are telling different stories.
Nonfarm payrolls grew by only 200 positions in September, yet sales tax collections rose 6.4% in 2026 on building materials and consumer spending. Commerce activity appears to be outrunning formal employment growth, a sign of productivity gains or price effects affecting the relationship with broad-based headcount expansion.
Posting growth signals sector-specific demand.
Colorado Springs led the state with 16% quarterly job posting growth in Q1, concentrated in tech, where worker counts are up 12% over five years. Job ads signal hiring demand and often cover several openings each, so this concentration suggests growth is narrower than the headline posting figure implies.
Wage gap with the state and nation persists as a structural feature.
El Paso County wages run roughly 15.8% below the Colorado average and 9.9% below the national median, even as sectors like financial analysis ($108,705) and operations management ($97,189) post significant local pay gains. The divergence suggests uneven wage pressure across the metro's industry mix.
Labor force shrinkage is a state-level constraint reaching this metro.
Colorado's labor force participation rate fell to 65.2% in September, the lowest since 1979, with 62% of leavers aged 55 and over. Regional economic development pitches premised on labor availability now carry more risk than they did a year ago, independent of local unemployment readings.
Median advertised pay by role — Colorado Springs, CO MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Sales Associate | $31,533 | $35,360 | $37,440 | Stable | $33,340 |
| Retail Cashier | $31,532 | $33,613 | $36,400 | Stable | $31,268 |
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate | $34,372 | $40,560 | $43,680 | Stable | $38,480 |
| CDL Truck Driver | $57,754 | $77,300 | $87,100 | Stable | $78,872 |
| Delivery Driver | $32,833 | $34,938 | $39,520 | Stable | $34,826 |
| Construction Laborer | $36,916 | $43,511 | $47,060 | Moderate increase | $40,727 |
| Electrician | $65,520 | $80,460 | $88,400 | Moderate increase | $71,835 |
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler | $35,599 | $41,600 | $44,720 | Stable | $39,520 |
| Customer Service Representative | $35,380 | $39,802 | $42,640 | Moderate increase | $39,520 |
| Food Service Worker | $32,481 | $40,789 | $41,049 | Moderate increase | $33,764 |
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide | $40,032 | $45,760 | $46,800 | Moderate increase | $41,600 |
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk | $37,819 | $43,858 | $47,503 | Stable | $44,552 |
| HVAC Technician | $62,400 | $72,800 | $81,120 | Moderate increase | $71,406 |
| Registered Nurse | $80,553 | $93,000 | $100,000 | Stable | $102,252 |
| Software Engineer | $110,000 | $136,285 | $149,279 | Stable | $154,403 |
| Data Engineer | $108,990 | $138,116 | $157,954 | Moderate decline | $138,000 |
| Accountant | $58,500 | $67,012 | $74,994 | Stable | $72,000 |
| Financial Analyst | $79,989 | $108,705 | $120,657 | Moderate increase | $94,646 |
| HR Generalist/Manager | $57,200 | $69,040 | $76,725 | Stable | $74,477 |
| Marketing Specialist | $46,319 | $59,270 | $64,000 | Significant increase | $62,916 |
| Operations Manager * | $90,000 | $97,189 | $107,901 | Significant increase | $86,294 |
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher | $39,593 | $61,127 | $67,591 | Stable | $55,908 |
| Account Manager | $62,659 | $100,000 | $124,472 | Significant increase | $94,009 |
| Warehouse Manager * | $43,753 | $52,000 | $52,211 | Significant decline | $75,000 |
| Business Analyst | $82,019 | $105,503 | $113,941 | Moderate increase | $98,302 |
* State-level figure shown where metro postings were too few.
WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings (reported as the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay). Download: CSV · JSON
Industry snapshot
| Sector | Median advertised pay | Pay trend | Postings trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | $60,438 | Moderate increase | Moderate decline |
| Manufacturing | $125,751 | Moderate increase | Significant increase |
| Retail Trade | $40,560 | Moderate increase | Moderate decline |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities | $48,497 | Moderate decline | Stable |
| Information | $100,261 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Financial Activities | $57,840 | Moderate increase | Moderate decline |
| Professional & Business Services | $90,789 | Significant increase | Significant increase |
| Education & Health Services | $54,080 | Moderate increase | Stable |
| Leisure & Hospitality | $36,400 | Stable | Significant decline |
| Government | $70,513 | Moderate increase | Significant decline |
Local market conditions
Colorado Springs added just 200 jobs in September to reach 331,600 nonfarm positions, while the metro unemployment rate climbed to 4.5% even as El Paso County's stood at a tighter 3.8% mid-year — a gap that points to measurement noise alongside softening in job creation. Job postings show where momentum is concentrating, with the metro leading Colorado in Q1 posting growth at 16% (job ads, a signal of hiring demand, with one ad often covering several openings) and tech employment up 12% over five years, suggesting demand is concentrating in specific sectors even as aggregate headcount growth stalls.
What it means
Flat aggregate job counts alongside strong postings growth and a 6.4% jump in 2026 tax collections indicate an economy where consumer and construction activity is outpacing formal payroll expansion — a pattern commerce leaders should read as resilience in spending power. Colorado's statewide labor force participation has fallen to its lowest level since 1979, meaning any metro-level expansion plans now compete for a shrinking regional labor pool. Local business and economic development leaders should evaluate expansion or relocation pitches against labor availability constraints as much as demand signals, since a tight labor supply can blunt the benefit of rising consumer activity.
Looking ahead
Expected release: Colorado's October unemployment data publishes November 20; watch whether the state's 4.1% rate and Colorado Springs' 4.5% metro rate converge or diverge further, which will clarify whether September's metro spike was noise or trend.
Emerging pressure point: Statewide labor force participation at a 46-year low, driven substantially by retirements, raises the question of whether Colorado Springs' tech and government sectors can sustain 2026 posting growth without a larger local labor pool.
Worth watching: Colorado's $6.74 million federal workforce training grant for aerospace, advanced manufacturing, and emerging tech could shape posting activity in Colorado Springs given the metro's defense and aerospace employer base; watch for program rollout details and participating local employers.
Potential inflection point: Colorado Chamber survey data showing 67% of businesses believe the state is headed in the wrong direction, alongside Colorado's drop from 11th to 25th in national business rankings, may begin showing up in slower local commercial investment or permitting activity over the next two months.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Colorado Springs MSA nonfarm employment and unemployment rate, September 2026
- Colorado Springs Gazette — El Paso County unemployment rate at 3.8% mid-year 2026
- Colorado Department of Labor and Employment — Colorado labor force participation rate lowest since 1979
- Colorado Chamber Foundation — Colorado Springs led state in Q1 job posting growth at 16%
- Colorado Chamber / regional economic data — Colorado Springs 2026 tax collection growth of 6.4%
- Colorado workforce development announcement — Colorado's $6.74 million federal workforce training grant, October 2026
Methodology
Advertised pay from active employer job postings, not survey data. WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings: distribution analysis shows roughly the lowest 10% of raw values are erroneous entries, so the reported median is the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay. WageScape observes 98% of U.S. job openings daily.
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