Healthcare Jobs in Denver, CO
Healthcare is one of Denver's biggest employers, from Denver Health's safety-net campus on Bannock Street to the hospital row on East 19th Avenue and the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. Here are the current openings across the metro, followed by who is hiring, what it pays and how to get started.
Current healthcare Openings in Denver, CO
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Healthcare Work in Denver
Denver's hospital jobs sit in two clusters. In the city itself, Denver Health runs the city's safety-net campus at 777 Bannock Street near the Golden Triangle, HCA HealthONE Presbyterian/St. Luke's and Intermountain Health Saint Joseph Hospital sit a few blocks apart on East 19th Avenue in Uptown, and National Jewish Health treats lung and immune disease off East Colfax. Out I-225, the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora holds UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital and Children's Hospital Colorado on the old Fitzsimons Army post.
Around them sit Kaiser Permanente medical offices, AdventHealth Porter on South Downing Street, urgent cares and Denver Health clinics. Colorado belongs to the Nurse Licensure Compact, so nurses from other compact states can start here without a new license, and Denver's own $19.29 city minimum wage sets a higher floor for entry-level support jobs than the rest of the state.
Top Denver Employers Hiring Healthcare Workers
These Denver-area systems are hiring across nursing, support and clinical roles right now:
- Denver Health - the city's safety-net system recruits RNs, LPNs and CNAs, including newly certified aides, for its Bannock Street campus, clinics and correctional care.
- UCHealth - the academic system hires nurses, fellows and clinic staff at University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora and at metro clinics such as Highlands Ranch.
- HCA HealthONE - Presbyterian/St. Luke's in Uptown posts nursing roles from labor and delivery to NICU and ICU, plus a new-grad RN residency.
- Kaiser Permanente - the health plan staffs RNs and LPNs at Denver medical offices such as Franklin and East Denver, including weekday clinic schedules.
- Children's Hospital Colorado - the pediatric hospital on the Anschutz campus carries dozens of open nursing positions in Aurora.
- Intermountain Health - Saint Joseph Hospital in Uptown publishes its unit staffing plans for nursing candidates and runs a nursing career ladder.
- AdventHealth Porter - the south Denver hospital offers sign-on bonuses on emergency and float pool nursing roles.
Healthcare Salaries in Denver
- Entry level: about $20 to $24 an hour for support roles such as nursing assistant, unit clerk and patient transport.
- Experienced: roughly $25 to $40 an hour for licensed practical nurses and technicians, depending on setting and shift.
- Senior: about $35 to $60 an hour for registered nurses, with specialty, night and float pool roles at the top.
These are estimates built from posted pay ranges at Denver hospitals and federal wage data, which puts healthcare support work in the metro near $22 an hour on average and practitioners near $53. A license, a specialty unit, night or weekend shifts and union contracts all move pay up, and several Denver hospitals add sign-on bonuses of $5,000 to $20,000 for hard-to-fill nursing roles.
How to Start a Healthcare Career in Denver
Many entry roles need only a high school diploma and on-the-job training. Hands-on nursing roles are licensed by the Colorado Board of Nursing in the Division of Professions and Occupations: nurse aides need a state certification, and LPNs and RNs must finish an approved program and pass the NCLEX. Community College of Denver runs a Nurse Aide program and a Practical Nursing certificate at its Lowry Campus, while the University of Colorado Anschutz College of Nursing, Regis University's Loretto Heights School of Nursing and MSU Denver on the Auraria Campus train registered nurses.
What the Job Involves
Healthcare work covers everything from bedside care to scheduling and supply. Depending on the role, a day can mean taking vital signs, helping patients bathe and move, giving medications, charting in the electronic health record, checking in patients, cleaning and restocking rooms, or coordinating discharges with families and insurers.
Skills Employers Look For
- BLS (CPR) certification from the American Heart Association or Red Cross
- Comfort with electronic health records and patient charting
- Clear communication with patients, families and care teams
- Physical stamina for long shifts on your feet
- Attention to detail with medications, orders and patient identity
- Calm judgment under pressure
Career Path and Advancement
A common Denver ladder starts as a nursing assistant or unit secretary, moves to LPN through Community College of Denver, then to RN through its LPN-to-BSN pathway or a BSN at Regis, MSU Denver or CU Anschutz. Denver Health offers tuition reimbursement, and UCHealth has an employee path into CU Anschutz nursing. From RN the road leads to charge nurse, specialty units, nurse management or advanced practice.
Related Careers in Denver
If healthcare interests you, these Denver guides go deeper on specific roles:
Frequently Asked Questions
Which hospitals in Denver hire the most healthcare workers?
The largest employers are Denver Health, UCHealth, HCA HealthONE, Intermountain Health, Children's Hospital Colorado and Kaiser Permanente. Denver Health and the East 19th Avenue hospitals are inside the city, while UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital and Children's Colorado are on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora.
Can I get a healthcare job in Denver without experience?
Yes. Support roles such as patient transport and unit clerk often need no license and train you on the job, and Denver Health recruits newly certified nursing assistants. Many people start there and go back to school for a license later.
Do I need a Colorado license to work in healthcare in Denver?
It depends on the role. Nurse aides are certified and LPNs and RNs are licensed by the Colorado Board of Nursing. Because Colorado is in the Nurse Licensure Compact, an LPN or RN with a multistate license from another compact state can work here without a separate Colorado license.
How much do entry-level healthcare jobs pay in Denver?
Entry-level support jobs generally pay about $20 to $24 an hour. Inside Denver city limits the 2026 city minimum wage is $19.29 an hour, higher than the $15.16 statewide minimum that applies in most suburbs.
How long does it take to become a nurse in Denver?
A nurse aide program is the shortest route, the Practical Nursing certificate at Community College of Denver takes three to four semesters, and a BSN takes about two years of nursing coursework after prerequisites. Regis University's Accelerated BSN can be finished in one year of full-time study if you already hold a bachelor's degree.
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