City of Durango jobs are posted online, and you apply online. The part most applicants miss is what comes with the job, because the city runs its own retirement plan instead of Social Security.
Where do you apply for City of Durango jobs?
Use the city's page on GovernmentJobs.com. Open positions appear there, and the city's employment page links to it. If nothing fits today, the same page offers a Job Interest Card. Fill one out and the city says you will hear first when a matching job opens.
Still have questions? Human Resources works out of City Hall at 949 E 2nd Ave. The phone is 970-375-5050 and the email is hr@durangoco.gov, per the city's benefits summary. For a map and hours, see where City Hall is.
What kinds of jobs does the city offer?
More than 400 full-time employees work for the city across thirteen departments, with part-time and seasonal staff on top. The employment page lists work in:
- Parks and Recreation, including part-time and seasonal roles
- Maintenance and skilled trades
- Administration, finance and information technology
- Library, public safety and transportation
- Engineering, public works and the airport
The airport is a good example of a split. City of Durango employees run airport administration, operations, maintenance and rescue firefighting. The shops, rental counters and airlines at the terminal hire for themselves, as the city's airport jobs page explains.
What does a City of Durango job pay?
Each posting lists its own salary, so check that line before you apply. Police work shows the range. A starting patrol officer earns $50,480 to $65,972, per the department's application page. Shifts run 11.5 hours, and certified officers who transfer in can collect lateral-entry bonuses of $3,000 or $6,000.
What is it like to join the police department?
The department says it has 58 officers and about 25 support staff, serving a city of roughly 20,000 residents that nearly doubles in summer when tourists arrive, per its recruiting page. Support jobs include records, evidence, rangers and a crime analyst. Officers can move into traffic, school resource, detective, SWAT and co-responder assignments. The city pays for uniforms, a vest, a radio and most other gear, and offers about 8,000 hours of training. Out-of-state officers who are not yet Colorado P.O.S.T. certified have six months to get certified. The department pays for the first round of testing.
What benefits come with a full-time job?
The 2026-2027 benefits summary lists these main items:
- Medical, dental and vision insurance starting the first of the month after you are hired
- 184 hours of paid time off a year to start, about 23 days, which grows with service
- 11 paid holidays
- A free pass to the Recreation Center and a free pass for city transit, with discounts for family
- Tuition reimbursement for job-related classes after one year
- Up to 16 paid hours a year to volunteer for local nonprofits
Does the city pay into Social Security?
No. The benefits summary says the city has opted out of Social Security. It uses a 401(a) plan instead. Full-time employees put in a mandatory 9% of gross wages, and the city adds 11.2%. Employees are vested in the city's share at 20% a year. The city also tells workers that opting out can change their Social Security benefits at retirement and points them to the Social Security Administration. If you have worked elsewhere, ask HR how this fits your plans before you accept.
Is the City the only government employer?
No. Several local agencies hire on their own sites.
- La Plata County has about 470 employees and posts openings on its human resources page.
- Durango School District 9-R keeps its own openings list. See our jobs in Durango answer for the other big employers.
- Durango Fire Protection District is a separate agency and lists jobs on its Join our Team page.
Moving here for a job? Our moving to Durango guide walks through the first weeks.