Software Developers salary
Technology · OCC code 15-1252 · gross annual wage · BLS OEWS May 2024
Software Developers in the US earn a median of $133,080 per year (mean $144,570) as of the BLS OEWS May 2024 survey — that is +168.8% versus the $49,500 median for all US jobs, more than 2.5x the US median wage for all jobs. The middle half earn between $103,050 and $169,000; the top 10% earn $211,450 or more. The median hourly wage is $63.98. About 1,654,440 are employed nationally. The highest-paying state is California ($170,910). Wages are gross (pre-tax) and vary by employer, experience and location.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
Software Developers pay range (national percentiles)
What software developers earn across the pay distribution, nationally (BLS OEWS, May 2024):
| Pay level | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-paid 10%) | $79,850 |
| 25th percentile | $103,050 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $133,080 |
| Mean (average) | $144,570 |
| 75th percentile | $169,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-paid 10%) | $211,450 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
A dash (—) means BLS did not release that figure; a plus (+) means the wage is at or above the BLS top code of $239,200/yr. See what wage percentiles mean or check where your salary ranks.
Software Developers salary by state
Median and mean wage for software developers in each of the 51 states with published data, highest median first. The national median is $133,080.
| # | State | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $170,910 | $185,750 | 292,630 |
| 2 | Washington | $166,910 | $175,600 | 91,470 |
| 3 | New York | $161,260 | $159,990 | 104,130 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $150,520 | $153,650 | 54,260 |
| 5 | Maryland | $137,890 | $150,800 | 31,940 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $136,040 | $143,810 | 8,250 |
| 7 | Oregon | $135,260 | $146,650 | 21,100 |
| 8 | Delaware | $135,160 | $136,170 | 3,850 |
| 9 | Colorado | $134,540 | $147,750 | 48,980 |
| 10 | Virginia | $134,470 | $142,230 | 83,290 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $132,420 | $139,860 | 8,010 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $132,400 | $140,520 | 57,120 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $131,000 | $131,780 | 57,590 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $130,870 | $136,530 | 16,490 |
| 15 | Vermont | $130,720 | $134,320 | — |
| 16 | Texas | $130,500 | $133,280 | 151,460 |
| 17 | Nevada | $129,030 | $137,920 | 4,640 |
| 18 | Georgia | $128,920 | $128,310 | 47,350 |
| 19 | Arizona | $128,690 | $133,140 | 35,650 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $128,660 | $126,810 | 6,010 |
| 21 | Illinois | $127,770 | $127,030 | 54,490 |
| 22 | Utah | $127,390 | $126,650 | 29,160 |
| 23 | Florida | $126,550 | $128,290 | 82,610 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $124,540 | $121,600 | 39,580 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $123,740 | $122,240 | 47,350 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $120,820 | $120,080 | 4,810 |
| 27 | Hawaii | $119,880 | $124,960 | 1,940 |
| 28 | Alaska | $119,600 | $132,940 | 430 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $117,340 | $117,940 | 18,750 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $116,420 | $116,110 | 8,940 |
| 31 | Missouri | $114,550 | $114,240 | 17,060 |
| 32 | Maine | $113,800 | $118,110 | 2,740 |
| 33 | Alabama | $113,020 | $117,380 | 18,020 |
| 34 | Wyoming | $112,590 | $121,500 | 1,020 |
| 35 | Iowa | $109,850 | $116,000 | 9,840 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $108,690 | $119,610 | 12,230 |
| 37 | Idaho | $107,900 | $125,460 | 4,960 |
| 38 | Michigan | $107,820 | $114,890 | 41,490 |
| 39 | Ohio | $107,690 | $116,330 | 44,280 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $107,420 | $112,920 | 7,150 |
| 41 | Kansas | $106,660 | $112,900 | 15,850 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $106,200 | $114,200 | 7,070 |
| 43 | Indiana | $103,570 | $107,610 | 12,690 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $103,550 | $107,330 | 2,280 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $103,360 | $114,030 | 22,170 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $102,290 | $119,790 | 3,870 |
| 47 | Montana | $100,190 | $120,950 | 2,070 |
| 48 | North Dakota | $98,550 | $103,610 | 1,510 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $96,820 | $100,380 | 6,390 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $87,770 | $93,390 | 2,190 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $86,460 | $87,990 | 3,200 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
Highest median: California ($170,910). Lowest: Mississippi ($86,460).
Similar-paying jobs
| Occupation | Median wage | Mean wage | vs US median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers (this job) | $133,080 | $144,570 | +168.8% |
| Physician Assistants | $133,260 | $136,900 | +169.2% |
| Aerospace Engineers | $134,830 | $141,180 | +172.4% |
| Computer Network Architects | $130,390 | $135,890 | +163.4% |
| Database Architects | $135,980 | $142,620 | +174.7% |
| Nurse Practitioners | $129,210 | $132,000 | +161.0% |
Physician Assistants · Aerospace Engineers · Computer Network Architects · Database Architects · Nurse Practitioners
Frequently asked questions
How much do software developers make?
Software Developers earn a national median of $133,080 per year (mean $144,570) as of the BLS OEWS May 2024 survey. The middle half earn between $103,050 (25th percentile) and $169,000 (75th percentile); the top 10% earn $211,450 or more and the bottom 10% earn under $79,850. These are gross, pre-tax wages.
What is the hourly wage for software developers?
The median hourly wage is $63.98 and the mean is $69.50 (BLS OEWS, May 2024). BLS reports some occupations only as annual wages, in which case hourly figures are shown as a dash.
Which state pays software developers the most?
California has the highest median wage for software developers at $170,910, versus a national median of $133,080. State pay reflects local cost of living, demand and industry mix. See the full state table on this page.
How many software developers are there in the US?
BLS estimates about 1,654,440 software developers are employed in the US (OEWS, May 2024). Among the 124 occupations tracked here, this job ranks #18 of 124 by median pay.
Keep exploring
Sources & accuracy
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 (OCC 15-1252), gross annual wages, U.S. public domain, retrieved June 2026. OEWS figures are survey estimates and reflect pay before tax. Your actual pay depends on employer, experience, certifications, industry and location. This is information, not financial or career advice — see our methodology and disclaimer.
Last updated: 2026-06-20