Hire a 1099 LPN in Colorado
What it costs to engage an independent lpn in Colorado, and how to keep the engagement compliant.
- LPNs employed
- 5,030
- Median annual pay
- $67,480
- 1099 equivalent
- $90,008
- Suggested hourly
- $54.09
- State income tax
- Yes
BLS OEWS, May 2024
all employment types
1.33× — estimate
at 80% utilisation
on top of federal
Engaging a 1099 lpn in Colorado means competing for people inside a pool of 5,030 licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, against a median wage of $67,480. This page works through what that means for an independent contractor: the pay spread, the rate you need to quote to come out ahead of payroll, and the tax and classification rules that apply in Colorado.
Every figure is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics programme (May 2024) or the Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Where BLS suppressed a number for this market, the sentence that would have used it is simply absent — nothing here is filled in with an estimate unless it is labelled as one.
Colorado by the numbers
5,030 people work as licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in Colorado. That figure counts every employment arrangement, W-2 and 1099 alike — BLS does not split the two. Applying 1099WORK's estimate that roughly 25% of licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses work on a 1099 basis puts the independent share near 1,258 people. Treat that as an order of magnitude, not a census.
The location quotient is 0.42 — licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses are 58% less concentrated here than in the average US market. That thins the employer pool, but it also thins the competition for the contracts that do exist.
A thin concentration cuts both ways: fewer employers and longer sales cycles, but far less competition once you have a relationship. Local pay above the national line is worth holding out for — it is the difference between a national rate and what this market will actually bear.
1099 versus payroll, in numbers
The honest comparison is not salary against contract rate — it is fully loaded cost against contract rate. A W-2 lpn in Colorado at the $67,480 median costs roughly $83,539 once you add employer payroll tax and a conservative benefits load. A contractor quoting $90,008 for the same output is close to cost-neutral, and you carry none of the unemployment insurance, benefits administration or severance exposure.
Where 1099 genuinely wins is variable demand. You pay for the engagement, not the calendar, and you can scale a territory or a project up and down without a headcount decision. Where it loses is control: the moment you need to set someone's hours, supply their tools and forbid other clients, you are describing an employee, and Colorado's agencies will say so.
Costs a 1099 engagement avoids that payroll does not:
- Employer FICA at 7.65% of wages
- Federal and state unemployment insurance
- Workers' compensation premiums in most classifications
- Health, dental and retirement contributions
- Paid leave, holidays and severance exposure
One thing to get right first
Labelling an engagement 1099 does not make it 1099 — the IRS weighs who controls the work, who supplies the tools and who carries the risk. For licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses the usual flashpoints are set schedules, employer-supplied equipment and exclusivity clauses. Colorado also applies its own test, which can reach a different answer than the IRS does on identical facts.
Where the licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses are in Colorado
Statewide totals hide how concentrated the work is. These 7 metros account for the bulk of Colorado's lpn employment:
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | 2,590 | $69,570 | 3.1 million |
| Colorado Springs | 650 | $66,190 | 778,000 |
| Fort Collins | 290 | $64,990 | 375,000 |
| Greeley | 110 | $68,490 | 370,000 |
| Boulder | 350 | $75,420 | 330,000 |
| Pueblo | 250 | $67,310 | 170,000 |
| Grand Junction | 200 | $61,130 | 161,000 |
From bottom decile to top in Colorado
Median pay for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in Colorado is $67,480. That works out to $32.44 an hour at a standard 2,080-hour year. That is 8.2% above the national median of $62,340.
The spread matters more than the midpoint for anyone working 1099. The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is $30,530, which is the range your negotiating position, client mix and specialisation actually move you across. Top-decile earners clear $82,850, against $52,320 at the bottom decile. These are W-2 and 1099 earnings combined, before any contractor adjusts for self-employment tax and unfunded benefits — which is what the next section is for.
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $52,320 | $25.15 |
| Median | $67,480 | $32.44 |
| Mean | $68,570 | $32.97 |
| 90th percentile | $82,850 | $39.83 |
Colorado against the wider market
Against the national median of $62,340 it sits 8.2% above. The location quotient column is the one worth reading twice: it measures how concentrated the occupation is relative to the national average, and it moves independently of pay.
| Area | Employed | Median annual | 90th percentile | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 5,030 | $67,480 | $82,850 | 0.42 |
| United States | 632,430 | $62,340 | $80,510 | — |
What to quote, by experience level
The percentile spread above is more useful as a rate card than as a statistic. Each row below takes a point in the local wage distribution and applies the same 1.33× contractor multiplier, then divides across a realistic 80% billable year. Treat the middle row as your default and the bottom row as a floor you do not go under — not as a starting offer.
| Position in the local market | Annual equivalent | Hourly at 80% utilisation |
|---|---|---|
| Entering the market (10th percentile) | $69,787 | $41.94 |
| Established (median) | $90,008 | $54.09 |
| Specialised (90th percentile) | $110,509 | $66.41 |
1099WORK, briefly
1099WORK is a marketplace built for 1099 engagements specifically: companies post a defined scope, licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses keep one verified profile, and agreements, onboarding and payment happen in the same place. It launched as 1099REPS for independent medical sales reps and now covers the wider 1099 economy, Colorado included.
Frequently asked questions
How often do 1099 contractors pay taxes in Colorado?
Quarterly. The IRS expects estimated payments in mid-April, mid-June, mid-September and mid-January, and charges an underpayment penalty for missing them even if you pay in full at filing. Colorado runs its own estimated-payment schedule alongside the federal one.
How much does a 1099 lpn make in Colorado?
The median lpn in Colorado earns $67,480 a year according to BLS OEWS data for May 2024, covering W-2 and 1099 workers together. The top decile clears $82,850. Working 1099, you would need roughly $90,008 in gross billings to match that median after self-employment tax and unfunded benefits.
Is 1099 work better than a W-2 job in Colorado?
It depends entirely on rate and stability. 1099 wins on control, deductibility and upside; W-2 wins on predictability, benefits and unemployment cover. As a rule of thumb, a 1099 engagement needs to pay about 1.33× the equivalent salary before it is genuinely better money.
What hourly rate should a 1099 lpn charge in Colorado?
About $54.09 an hour at 80% utilisation, derived from the $67,480 local median. That builds in the employer half of payroll tax, twenty unpaid days a year and a 15% allowance for self-funded health cover and retirement. It excludes business insurance, mileage and unbilled sales time.
How many licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses work in Colorado?
BLS counts 5,030 licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses in Colorado. 1099WORK estimates roughly 1,258 of them work on a 1099 basis, though BLS does not publish that split.
Do I need an LLC to work 1099 in Colorado?
No. A sole proprietor can accept 1099 work under their own name and Social Security number, and many contractors start that way. An LLC adds liability separation and lets you elect S-corp taxation once profit is high enough for the payroll-tax saving to beat the extra filing cost. Colorado sets its own formation fee and annual report requirements.