UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, Children's Hospital Colorado, Denver Health, and ski resort community SLP contracts. ASLP-IC Compact member state.
Colorado joined the ASLP-IC (Interstate Compact for Speech-Language Pathology) enabling SLPs holding a compact privilege via aslpcompact.com to practice in Colorado without obtaining a full CO state endorsement. For travel SLPs already licensed in a compact home state, this can shorten credentialing from 8–12 weeks to as little as 2–3 weeks. If you are not yet in the compact, contact CatSol — we guide you through compact privilege applications as part of our onboarding.
Colorado levies a 4.4% flat state income tax on all residents — one of the lowest flat-rate states in the country. For travel SLPs comparing assignment locations by after-tax income, Colorado is significantly more favorable than California, Oregon, or the Northeast.
| State | Top Rate | Tax Type | Est. Weekly Tax on $1,000 Taxable Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 4.4% | Flat | ~$44/wk |
| California | 13.3% | Progressive | ~$133/wk |
| Oregon | 9.9% | Progressive | ~$99/wk |
| New York | 10.9% | Progressive | ~$109/wk |
| Nevada | 0% | None | $0/wk |
| Tennessee | 0% | None | $0/wk |
Example: On a $2,800/wk total package with $1,000 taxable base, Colorado state income tax is approximately $44/wk — saving $55–$89/wk vs. Oregon, and $89/wk vs. New York. Over a 13-week assignment, that is a $715–$1,157 advantage over comparable Pacific Northwest or Northeast assignments.
Five reasons Colorado stands out in the travel SLP market for 2026.
Colorado accepts compact privileges — faster credentialing for SLPs from other compact states. No full CO endorsement required for compact holders.
One of the lowest flat-rate income taxes in the US — significantly more favorable than CA, OR, or NY. Maximize your 13-week assignment take-home.
UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital (Anschutz) offers ALS, TBI, head/neck cancer, and NICU SLP caseloads alongside CU School of Medicine faculty.
World-class skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and climbing. Denver is one of the sunniest cities in the US — 300+ days of sunshine annually.
Colorado is the only state with altitude-specific SLP presentations — HAPE, vocal fold dehydration, ski resort TBI dysphagia — building a uniquely marketable clinical skill set.
Leading hospitals and systems hiring travel speech-language pathologists in Colorado.
Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
Colorado's flagship academic medical center and Level I trauma center. SLP caseloads include acute neurological SLP (stroke aphasia, TBI cognitive-communication), ALS multidisciplinary team (one of CO's largest ALS programs), head and neck cancer SLP (pre/post-treatment swallowing and voice), FEES and MBS laryngeal function studies, NICU neonatal feeding SLP, and voice disorders. Affiliation with CU School of Medicine means travel SLPs work alongside SLP graduate students, PhD researchers, and medical faculty.
Aurora, CO
Level IV NICU and Colorado's premier pediatric medical center. SLP caseloads include NICU neonatal feeding and swallowing, pediatric dysphagia (cleft palate, airway anomalies), augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), autism SLP, and pediatric voice and fluency disorders.
Denver, CO
Level I trauma center serving Denver's safety-net population. TBI SLP caseloads are high-volume due to trauma volume. Strong acute inpatient SLP caseload with dysphagia, cognitive-communication deficits, and aphasia from trauma and stroke.
Colorado Springs, CO
Level I trauma center in Colorado Springs — the second-largest city in Colorado. SLP caseloads include stroke aphasia, TBI cognitive-communication, and acute dysphagia. Proximity to Fort Carson military base drives traumatic brain injury volume.
Jefferson County, Cherry Creek, Denver Public Schools, statewide
Colorado's rapidly growing school districts face significant school-based SLP shortages driven by rising autism diagnosis rates and IDEA mandates. Jefferson County, Cherry Creek, and Denver Public Schools are among the largest hiring districts. AAC, autism SLP, language disorders, and articulation caseloads are most prevalent.
Weekly package estimates including taxable base, housing stipend, and M&IE. Figures are market-rate ranges — your exact package depends on facility, shift, and contract length.
| Market / Setting | Weekly Package | Key Facilities |
|---|---|---|
| Denver / Aurora Academic | $2,600–$3,200/wk | UCHealth Anschutz, Children's Hospital CO |
| Denver Health Level I Trauma | $2,300–$2,800/wk | Denver Health Medical Center |
| Colorado Springs | $2,200–$2,700/wk | UCHealth Memorial, Penrose-St. Francis |
| Boulder / Longmont | $2,100–$2,600/wk | Foothills Hospital, Longmont United |
| School-Based CO ESD | $2,000–$2,500/wk | Jefferson County, Cherry Creek, Denver PS |
| Rural Mountain Towns | $2,300–$2,800/wk | Aspen, Vail, Glenwood Springs (HPSA shortage premium) |
Updated every 4 hours from our live jobs database. Showing national SLP openings — CO-specific positions post frequently.
No live Colorado SLP jobs at this moment — positions post frequently.
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UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora is Colorado's flagship academic medical center and one of the Mountain West's busiest Level I trauma centers. For travel SLPs, Anschutz represents a uniquely rich clinical environment found nowhere else in the region.
SLP caseloads at UCHealth Anschutz are structured around complex neurological and oncological patients. The ALS Multidisciplinary Clinic is one of Colorado's largest, meaning travel SLPs contribute to a standing ALS program alongside neurologists, pulmonologists, and physical medicine specialists. Head and neck cancer SLP at Anschutz includes pre-treatment baseline swallowing assessments, post-surgical dysphagia management, and laryngeal function studies including FEES and modified barium swallow (MBS).
The NICU at UCHealth Anschutz provides neonatal feeding and swallowing SLP. The stroke and neurology service drives high-volume acute aphasia and cognitive-communication caseloads. Voice disorders clinic serves professional voice users from Denver's performing arts and broadcasting communities.
The CU School of Medicine affiliation means travel SLPs at Anschutz routinely work alongside SLP graduate students, doctoral researchers, and physician scientists. For career-advancement-minded SLPs, an Anschutz assignment is curriculum vitae-distinguishing in a way few travel contracts match.
Colorado is the only state in the US where travel SLPs routinely encounter altitude-related clinical presentations as part of their standard caseload. This creates a clinical experience unavailable anywhere else in travel therapy — and one that meaningfully differentiates Colorado SLP alumni on their CVs.
HAPE — a life-threatening accumulation of fluid in the lungs triggered by rapid ascent above 8,000 feet — causes respiratory distress patterns that directly compromise swallowing coordination and voice. Patients presenting with HAPE at Summit County, Eagle County, and Pitkin County hospitals require SLP consultation for respiratory-swallowing dyscoordination management that is rare or absent in sea-level clinical practice.
Colorado's low humidity and high altitude accelerate dehydration at rates 2–3x higher than sea-level environments. Vocal fold dehydration — Reinke's edema, vocal fold dryness, and anterior commissure thickening — is substantially more prevalent in Denver and mountain communities than comparable cities at lower elevations. Travel SLPs in Colorado develop vocal hygiene counseling and vocal fold hydration management protocols that are directly transferable to professional voice users anywhere.
Ski resort community hospitals — Vail Health (Eagle County), Aspen Valley Hospital (Pitkin County), St. Anthony Summit Medical Center (Summit County) — receive traumatic brain injury patients from ski and snowboard accidents at rates that exceed comparable non-mountain hospitals. TBI-related aphasia, dysphagia, and cognitive-communication deficits are the dominant SLP presentations during ski season (December through April). Travel SLPs covering ski season contracts see concentrated TBI SLP caseloads that would take 2–3 years to accumulate in a standard urban acute care setting.
Colorado's ski resort communities face persistent SLP shortages driven by small hospital sizes, remote geography, and the concentration of TBI SLP demand during ski season. For travel SLPs willing to work in these settings, the rewards are significant.
Yes. Colorado is an ASLP-IC Compact member state. SLPs holding a compact privilege through aslpcompact.com can practice in Colorado without obtaining a full CO state endorsement. This can reduce credentialing time from 8–12 weeks to 2–3 weeks for compact-state SLPs. CatSol navigates compact privilege applications as part of our onboarding process.
Travel SLPs at UCHealth Anschutz typically earn $2,600–$3,200 per week total package. The academic Level I trauma environment — with ALS, TBI, head and neck cancer, FEES/MBS, and NICU caseloads — commands premium pay above CO state averages. 13-week contracts are standard. CCC-SLP required; MBSIMP and FEES competency preferred for dysphagia-focused tracks.
Colorado is the only state where travel SLPs routinely encounter altitude-related clinical presentations. High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) affects swallowing coordination and voice in patients rapidly ascending above 8,000 feet. Altitude dehydration causes vocal fold dryness and Reinke’s edema at higher rates than sea-level settings. Ski resort hospitals in Eagle, Pitkin, and Summit counties treat TBI-related aphasia and dysphagia from ski accidents at concentrated volumes during December–April ski season.
Colorado’s 4.4% flat state income tax applies to taxable income only. On a $2,800/wk package with $1,000 taxable base, CO state tax is approximately $44/wk — saving $55–$89/wk vs. Oregon (9.9%), and $89/wk vs. New York (10.9%). Over a 13-week assignment, the tax advantage vs. California (13.3%) can exceed $1,150. Nevada and Tennessee have 0% state income tax and remain more favorable for pure tax optimization.
Most Colorado travel SLP contracts — acute care, skilled nursing, outpatient, and school-based — require ASHA CCC-SLP certification. UCHealth and Denver Health additionally expect MBSIMP certification or FEES competency for dysphagia-heavy acute care caseloads. School-based contracts require CO Department of Education licensure in addition to ASHA CCC-SLP. Contact CatSol if you hold a CFY or are within 6 months of CCC — some settings accommodate.
Eagle County (Vail), Pitkin County (Aspen), Summit County (Breckenridge/Keystone/Arapahoe Basin), and Garfield County (Glenwood Springs) hospitals face acute SLP shortages. These facilities treat ski-related TBI and spinal injuries at volumes that create concentrated acute SLP caseloads unavailable outside of CO. Travel SLPs earn $200–$400/wk shortage premiums, often receive employer-provided or subsidized housing, and have immediate access to world-class skiing between shifts. Book ski resort contracts by September for December start dates.
UCHealth academic caseloads, ASLP-IC Compact credentialing, 4.4% flat tax, altitude medicine SLP, and ski resort community contracts. CatSol places SLPs in Colorado year-round.
ASLP-IC Compact guidance • No recruiter pressure • CCC-SLP required • 13-week contracts