Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$82,460
- 25th Percentile — Junior$105,210
- 50th Percentile — Median$135,980
- 75th Percentile — Senior$171,980
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$214,670
The top 10% of Software Developers earn $214,670 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $82,460, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
What Software Developers Do
Role, training and entry requirements
Software developers design, build, test, and maintain applications and systems, from mobile and web apps to the operating systems and infrastructure they run on. They translate user needs into technical designs, write and review code, and work with product, design, and quality-assurance teams.
How to become one
Most developers have a bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field, though coding bootcamps and self-taught portfolios also lead to jobs. Experience with in-demand languages, frameworks, and cloud platforms carries a lot of weight in hiring.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska (est.) | $195,492 | +32.0% |
| California | $186,770 | +26.1% |
| Washington | $171,040 | +15.5% |
| New York | $163,820 | +10.6% |
| Massachusetts | $161,730 | +9.2% |
| Maryland | $151,560 | +2.3% |
| Colorado | $150,940 | +1.9% |
| Oregon | $149,060 | +0.6% |
| Virginia | $146,340 | -1.2% |
| New Hampshire | $144,530 | -2.4% |
| District of Columbia | $144,430 | -2.5% |
| New Jersey | $143,800 | -2.9% |
| Connecticut | $141,260 | -4.6% |
| Delaware | $138,110 | -6.7% |
| Nevada | $137,350 | -7.3% |
| Florida | $137,010 | -7.5% |
| North Carolina | $136,940 | -7.5% |
| Illinois | $136,540 | -7.8% |
| Texas | $136,450 | -7.9% |
| South Carolina | $136,240 | -8.0% |
| Vermont | $136,100 | -8.1% |
| Hawaii | $134,600 | -9.1% |
| Idaho | $134,370 | -9.3% |
| Montana | $133,550 | -9.8% |
| Arizona | $132,530 | -10.5% |
| Georgia | $132,150 | -10.8% |
| Utah | $129,860 | -12.3% |
| Rhode Island | $129,080 | -12.8% |
| Maine | $129,040 | -12.9% |
| Pennsylvania | $128,110 | -13.5% |
| Minnesota | $127,530 | -13.9% |
| New Mexico | $126,620 | -14.5% |
| Missouri | $123,810 | -16.4% |
| Wyoming | $123,360 | -16.7% |
| Alabama | $122,840 | -17.1% |
| Michigan | $122,720 | -17.1% |
| Wisconsin | $122,620 | -17.2% |
| Kentucky | $120,730 | -18.5% |
| Tennessee | $120,560 | -18.6% |
| Ohio | $119,860 | -19.1% |
| Iowa | $118,780 | -19.8% |
| Oklahoma | $118,510 | -20.0% |
| West Virginia | $118,410 | -20.0% |
| Kansas | $116,560 | -21.3% |
| Nebraska | $115,590 | -22.0% |
| Indiana | $113,980 | -23.0% |
| Arkansas | $109,590 | -26.0% |
| Louisiana | $108,270 | -26.9% |
| North Dakota | $107,000 | -27.8% |
| South Dakota | $104,790 | -29.2% |
| Mississippi | $99,840 | -32.6% |
What Factors Affect Software Developers Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Software Developers is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: California pays an average of $186,770, while Mississippi pays $99,840 — a gap of $86,930 per year.
Software developer pay is concentrated in a few high-cost tech hubs, which is why state averages vary so widely. Specialization (for example machine learning, security, or distributed systems), seniority, and employer size all matter. These BLS figures cover base wages only; stock grants and bonuses, which can be large at major tech companies, are not included.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
Compare with Similar Jobs
Related career salary benchmarks
- Information Security Analysts $132,510/yr United States 10.5% vs this role
- Data Scientists $126,800/yr United States 14.4% vs this role
- Software Quality Assurance Analysts $111,490/yr United States 24.7% vs this role
- Network and Computer Systems Administrators $103,680/yr United States 30.0% vs this role
- Computer Network Architects $139,580/yr United States 5.8% vs this role
- Web Developers $98,770/yr United States 33.3% vs this role
- Registered Nurses $101,420/yr United States 31.5% vs this role
- Nurse Practitioners $137,300/yr United States 7.3% vs this role
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Software Developers?
The average salary for Software Developers in the United States is $148,100 per year, with a median of $135,980.
What is the starting salary for Software Developers?
Entry-level Software Developers typically earn between $82,460 and $105,210 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Software Developers the most?
California pays Software Developers the most at $186,770 per year on average, followed by Washington ($171,040) and New York ($163,820).
How much do Software Developers make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $148,100, Software Developers earn approximately $71.2 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Software Developers a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 1,687,890 Software Developers jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $148,100 and a median of $135,980 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
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