Workforce & Demographics

Channeling talent throughout every industry

City life set against the mountains and a competitive cost of living draw job seekers and career builders to Colorado Springs, giving companies a real recruiting and retention advantage.

Young professionals are a defining part of the workforce here. The median resident age is 34, and an increasing number of millennials are choosing Colorado Springs as their place to build momentum, according to the Brookings Institution. This is a city people are actively opting into, not settling for.

Colorado Springs is among the most educated cities in the country, with more than 38% of the population holding a bachelor’s degree or higher — 6% above the national average, and a number companies can build a workforce strategy around.

Nearly a dozen higher education institutions are producing steadfast, savvy, and energetic professionals, many of whom put down roots locally after graduation. Together, they help make up the most confident workforce in the country: LinkedIn’s Workforce Confidence Index ranks Colorado Springs highest in the nation for job security, personal finances, and career outlook. This is the kind of confidence that comes from a community where people find their place and grow.

That depth spans trades and tech alike. Lockheed Martin, Bal Seal, and Philips draw on skilled local talent to move products from assembly line to market, while Hewlett Packard, Oracle, and 140+ other tech companies operate here, backed by a workforce strong enough to earn Colorado Springs a spot on CompTIA’s top-20 list of tech cities for IT jobs — a strategic fit across industries, verified and ready to scale.

New horizons for innovative talent

Higher education in Colorado Springs runs nearly a dozen colleges and universities deep and is a pipeline built for what’s next, not just what’s expected. Among them: the U.S. Air Force Academy and Colorado College, named U.S. News & World Report’s third-most innovative school in the country.

The University of Colorado Colorado Springs is home to top-ranked programs in business and nursing, and recently launched a cybersecurity curriculum in partnership with the National Cybersecurity Center — one more example of a talent ecosystem built through intention. In total, five Colorado Springs colleges are certified by the National Security Agency as Centers of Academic Excellence, a credential that gives companies a verified, defensible edge when it comes to sourcing specialized talent.

Pikes Peak State College and Colorado Technical University round out the pipeline, producing workforce-ready graduates in business, healthcare, trades, technology, and beyond.

Opportunity here isn’t gatekept by degree type or industry. Whatever path a professional chooses, there’s a program built to launch it, and a city ready to help them build a future on their own terms.

Diverse skill sets

Colorado Springs is anchored by five military installations, and the men and women who’ve served here add a distinctive depth to the local talent pool. More than 60,000 veterans call the region home, with an average of 350+ military separations each month feeding directly into the local workforce. Many choose to build their next chapter right here, while others who were once stationed locally find their way back. This is a place people choose deliberately, not just pass through.

What they bring is a verified, battle-tested skill set: discipline, technical expertise, and a work ethic that companies can build a workforce strategy around. It’s talent that spans industries by design — ready-made for aerospace and defense, but adaptable enough to strengthen any sector looking for people who show up, execute, and lead.

Responsive workforce development programs for every challenge

When it’s time to train or tune up skills, Colorado Springs employers have a ready-made partner in the Pikes Peak Workforce Center. Companies can work with the center to develop customized training, or tap into existing programs for on-the-job, new-employee, or transitional training. Grants and funding are available to help offset the cost, giving companies a clear, defensible path to building the workforce they need.

As part of the Colorado Workforce Development Council, the center also delivers hiring events, pre-employment screening assessments, and labor market data to help companies make confident, informed decisions rather than educated guesses.

Additional job training support is available through the State of Colorado, giving employers and job seekers alike more ways to connect ambition with opportunity.