Denver offers the best of both worlds for those who want to experience city life but still have time to unplug and relax in nature. The region is home to several notable hiking spots in the country, like the Rocky Mountains along the Front Range mountain range. Nearby Boulder offers even more outdoor recreation, whether it’s hiking the iconic Flatiron mountains or kayaking along the many river beds and lakes. On the other hand, Denver is a bustling place for unique activities, cultural experiences, and vibrant nightlife. If you’re someone who can go from hiking and camping to dancing at bars or heading to local sporting events, Denver could be the place for you.
Not only are there endless recreational and leisure activities in Denver, but business is booming in the region. Companies big and small, of all kinds, find themselves planting roots in Denver based on the city’s strong economy and diverse range of industries and community members. The entrepreneurial spirit is alive in a place where companies of all kinds thrive, arts and culture are alive, and tech integrations allow more and more businesses to readily meet their consumers' needs. In the end, it’s really no surprise that ADP recently ranked Denver as one of the best hiring markets in the country based on wage growth, consistency, and starting rates.
Careers and Salaries for Business Professionals in Denver
Below are a few of the most common, generalized roles for business professionals across multiple industries (as job titles can vary from company to company). Salary information has been derived from Glassdoor, but even these numbers serve as a range instead of a guaranteed expectation, depending on experience, education, and the hiring company.
Title |
Role |
Average Salary (USD) |
Business Manager |
Oversees business operations and serves as a leader for the team. This includes staying organized, delegating tasks, planning a budget, and working towards overall organizational goals. |
~$60,000 to ~$96,000/year
Average: $76,000
|
Business Consultant |
Assists businesses with their strategy and tactics, finding ways to improve and streamline day-to-day business practices. May include market research and data analysis, or marketing strategies and project management. |
~$68,000 to ~ $118,000/year
Average: $90,000
|
Business Analyst |
Analyzes business data from various sources to gain insight and provide solutions. Makes data-driven decisions that lead to more efficient, profitable outcomes. Overall, the main concern is the success of the business. |
~$69,000 to ~ $102,000/year
Average: $84,000
|
Business Administrator |
Handles the daily operations that come with running a business and offers support to Business Managers and others within the department. Often performs many of the same roles as a Business Manager, but with different focal points. |
~$57,000 to ~ $89,000/year
Average: $71,000
|
What Are the Current Job and Market Trends in Denver?
The economy and job market in Denver are both considered strong and stable, with some variation from industry to industry. In truth, the tech industry is the fastest-growing industry around. Its emergence as a prominent industry has solidified Denver as a growing tech hub in the region, often referring to the region as “Silicon Mountain.” All in all, the unemployment rate is low (close to 4%) and offers a wide variety of options for someone with a business mindset. More out-of-the-box sectors, like recreational cannabis and sporting events, give variety and excitement to those looking to plant roots in lesser-known fields, but there is a wealth of industries that offer traditional business adjacent roles.
Industries and Companies in Denver That Hire Business Professionals
Denver has a strong economy, with these industries standing out among the rest for their growth, consistency, and business-centric jobs. Read on to learn about how the technology, healthcare, tourism, hospitality, and aviation industries in Denver impact the economy and workforce.
Technology and Innovation
Although not as prominent as places like New York City or San Francisco, the tech industry in Denver is expanding rapidly. This is largely due to many other industries in the region (healthcare, finance, education, etc.) turning to tech-based solutions for their business operations. As a result, more and more Denver-based tech startups pop up every year, and some notable players in the field have relocated to the region. Business professionals work in tech all the time, often as a bridge between the company and the consumer. Essentially, business experts help spread the word about products, keep consumers engaged, and gain more insights into the business and its consumer base through data analytics.
-
Salesforce: Specializing in customer relationship management services and solutions, Salesforce has offices in Denver that employ roughly 400 people, many of whom are in business-related roles.
-
Gusto Inc.: This software company aims to improve business practices through its online payroll and human resources platform. Their HQ is in San Francisco, but Denver houses one of their three corporate offices. Currently, there’s an open position for the Head of Business Development.
-
Adobe: With a corporate office in downtown Denver, Adobe is a great place to work, according to several reviews on job posting sites like Indeed and Glassdoor. They’re currently hiring for a Sales Manager position.
-
Datadog: Another national company, Datadog, specializes in cloud-based services and applications. They are currently looking to fill positions for a Customer Success Manager and Mid-Market Sales Manager, both requiring strong business acumen.
Healthcare and Research
Whether people choose to ignore it or not, healthcare is a business. It’s nearly impossible to provide the best care to the community without strong leadership and strong business skills. Everything from financial management to marketing makes a difference in this field, where business practice can directly influence the health of the community. Whether it’s wellness programs or new departments within the local hospital, business-minded individuals are highly needed in the healthcare industry. In Denver, the healthcare industry is incredibly strong and shows no signs of waning in the foreseeable future. In fact, healthcare accounts for roughly $148 billion in economic output and 744,000 jobs, according to the Common Sense Institute.
-
UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital: As the top-rated hospital in Denver, it’s no surprise that UCHealth hires business professionals to work behind the scenes and keep things running smoothly. Positions range from marketing and management to more administrative roles.
-
Cleerly: This company specializes in image analysis for coronary health, but specifically uses AI-driven tools and technology. They’re currently searching for an experienced Sales Manager with strong business skills.
-
Strava: Strava is known as the social media of fitness apps, allowing users to track hikes, runs, and other forms of activity. It makes sense to have a corporate office in a place like Denver, where outdoor recreation is abundant.
-
University of Colorado School of Medicine: The medical school at the University of Colorado is highly regarded in several areas, namely primary care, where it ranked sixth.
Tourism and Hospitality
People from all around the world travel to Denver to catch a glimpse of the beautiful Rocky Mountains or enjoy all the city has to offer. According to Visit Denver, tourism is one of the largest sources of employment in the region, with roughly 45,000 tourism and hospitality employees living directly in city limits and nearly 74,000 living within the metro area in total. To work in one of these fields, it’s essential to have an understanding of basic business operations and needs. Tourism fuels the hospitality industry, which is human-centered at its core, but to provide the best experience for the customer, there have to be effective marketing strategies, well-planned budgets, and data to back up what’s going right and what needs a revamp.
-
Four Seasons Hotel: Working for a business like a hotel, it’s expected to have business-minded individuals who can steer everyone and everything in the right direction. Four Seasons in Denver is currently hiring for Residential Assistant Manager roles and other positions related to business such as Food and Beverage Manager.
-
Coors Brewery: Denver has a strong food and beverage sector that brushes up against the tourism and hospitality industries. Coors, an international beer company, has a major brewery with tours in Golden, which is 20 minutes outside Denver. They’re looking for business-centric roles like Director of Sales and Payroll Coordinator.
-
Red Rocks Amphitheatre: This popular event and concert venue is well-known across the U.S. for its stunningly vibrant scenery. The Aramark Corporation is currently hiring for positions at Red Rocks Amphitheatre such as Sales Manager.
-
Sage Hospitality Group: With corporate offices in Denver, Sage Hospitality focuses on providing the best experience for travelers. They manage roughly 60 hotels and restaurants each, but also have ties to various bars and venues.
Aviation and Aerospace
Denver’s aviation and aerospace industry is significant in comparison to other areas in the region, even granting it the spot as the second-largest aerospace economy. This is largely in part due to the Denver Airport, which generates a large amount of revenue and has drawn in roughly 290 aerospace companies to the region, according to the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation. Airports and manufacturing companies can succeed based on the hard work and support of many business-minded individuals. Some responsibilities may involve analyzing large amounts of data, planning strategically, or aligning with all codes and regulations, but ultimately, a strong business strategy is what drives the success of these companies.
-
Frontier Airlines: With its headquarters in Denver, Frontier Airlines serves as one of the leading ULCC (ultra-low-cost carrier) airlines in the region. Much like many Denver-based companies, they focus on sustainable initiatives and hire for roles that reflect that. Other business-savvy positions include Marketing Coordinator and Business Analyst.
-
Lockheed Martin: Lockheed Martin is a well-known aerospace and defense company. Located just 20 minutes outside of Denver in a town called Sherrelwood, Lockheed Martin reports that their Denver location is entrenched in a “strong business climate” and offers stable, high-paying work for many in the region. In particular, Lockheed Martin employs roughly 14,000 people in Colorado, with Denver-based employees accounting for roughly 8,300 of the total.
-
York Space Systems: York Space Systems is also headquartered in Denver and manufactures materials for spacecraft. They’re currently hiring administrative roles as well as business-centric positions like Program Manager and Operations Analyst.
-
United Launch Alliance: This company, which is a collective venture between Lockheed Martin Space and the Boeing Company, aims to improve the design, production, and launch of rockets. ULA has numerous management and administrative positions as well as internships available.