Apple’s plans to build a second campus in the U.S. won’t be pursued by Denver because the potential jobs don’t pay enough, according to officials who work with the state to attract new business to the metro area.

“The project is really for a technical support center, and while we have existing Apple locations, we’re not confident that the wages of a technical support center would support wage growth opportunities in Colorado,” said Sam Bailey, vice president of economic development for the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp. “They are looking in lower-cost markets.”

Apple shared few details about the new campus other than it planned build a second campus dedicated to customer support. Wednesday’s announcement was part of the company’s pledge to also hire 20,000 workers over the next five years and invest $350 billion in the U.S. because of benefits it will see with the country’s new tax law.

Other parts of Colorado, such as in Pueblo and Colorado Springs, do have large customer service and support centers. Michelle Hadwiger, deputy director of the state’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade, hasn’t yet ruled out a bid for Apple’s campus, according to spokeswoman Emily Williams.

“Michelle and her team are broadly aware that Apple is looking for new investment opportunities but at this point haven’t engaged directly with them, so at this point it’s just too early to say,” Williams said in an email.

Bailey and his team are focusing on companies like Amazon, which is seeking a city to plop down a second headquarters where 50,000 workers would earn an average of $100,000 a year. On Thursday, Amazon named Denver one of 20 finalists that it will work with before announcing a winner this year.







