Atmospheric and Space Scientist salary in Boulder, CO

Based on 33 certified H-1B filings in the Boulder, CO metro area, FY2025–FY2026.

Also listed as: Earth Scientist Atmospheric Science

Median salary$99,910
Middle 50%$83.3k–$106.8k
vs. national median+4%comparison median $96,034
Filings33FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $66,498 and $226,560.
PercentileSalary
10th$75,000
25th$83,270
50th (median)$99,910
75th$106,761
90th$116,397

Salary by year

Median salary

$60k $85k $110k FY2020: median $90,000 (15 filings) FY2021: median $74,568 (19 filings) FY2022: median $86,165 (12 filings) FY2023: median $98,650 (14 filings) FY2024: median $99,150 (18 filings) FY2025: median $102,316 (16 filings) FY2026: median $99,619 (17 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 15 filings FY20 FY2021: 19 filings FY21 FY2022: 12 filings FY22 FY2023: 14 filings FY23 FY2024: 18 filings FY24 FY2025: 16 filings FY25 FY2026: 17 filings FY26 19
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$90,000$66,169$93,00015
FY2021$74,568$57,793$93,39219
FY2022$86,165$73,128$98,30512
FY2023$98,650$89,660$110,95414
FY2024$99,150$76,650$105,75918
FY2025$102,316$82,828$106,19016
FY2026$99,619$85,520$108,86217

Cost of living

Boulder's median Atmospheric and Space Scientist salary of $99,910 is worth about $95,000 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Boulder = 105.2).

Compared with all workers here

All Atmospheric and Space Scientists in the Boulder, CO area earned a median of $121,870 in May 2025 (620 employed). The H-1B median here is $99,910, 18% lower.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Top employers filing

EmployerMedianFilings
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research$99,91023
University of Coloradotoo few9

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $82,650 13
Mid-level · Level II – 0
Senior · Level III $105,600 17
Expert · Level IV – 0

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$61,027$82,65013
Senior · Level III$98,280$105,60017

The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.