Software Developer salary in the U.S.
Software Developers in the U.S. earn a median of $135,980 a year ($65.38 an hour), based on BLS data for 1,687,890 workers.
Pay ranges from $82,460 for the lowest-paid 10% to $214,670 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $148,100, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.
Pay range for software developers in the U.S.
| Pay level | Yearly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $82,460 | $39.64 |
| 25th percentile | $105,210 | $50.58 |
| Median | $135,980 | $65.38 |
| 75th percentile | $171,980 | $82.68 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $214,670 | $103.21 |
| Average (mean) | $148,100 | $71.20 |
Half of software developers earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
Median paycheck, before taxes
| Pay period | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $11,331.67 |
| Semi-monthly (24 a year) | $5,665.83 |
| Biweekly (26 a year) | $5,230 |
| Weekly | $2,615 |
| Hourly | $65.38 |
Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.
Software Developer salary by state
| State | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| California | $174,410 | 284,390 |
| Washington | $166,540 | 107,030 |
| New York | $166,180 | 113,510 |
| Massachusetts | $165,210 | 48,190 |
| Oregon | $142,720 | 21,830 |
| New Hampshire | $139,720 | 10,840 |
| Maryland | $138,680 | 31,350 |
| Colorado | $138,390 | 43,320 |
| District of Columbia | $136,880 | 6,120 |
| Virginia | $136,460 | 88,280 |
| New Jersey | $135,940 | 51,570 |
| North Carolina | $134,710 | 58,470 |
| Connecticut | $134,120 | 13,660 |
| Delaware | $133,020 | 3,380 |
| Texas | $132,150 | 163,880 |
| Illinois | $132,110 | 56,310 |
| Idaho | $131,590 | 5,750 |
| Georgia | $131,010 | 49,700 |
| Florida | $130,980 | 87,890 |
| Rhode Island | $130,590 | 5,070 |
| Minnesota | $130,050 | 35,890 |
| Arizona | $129,690 | 38,050 |
| South Carolina | $129,450 | 13,230 |
| Nevada | $128,810 | 4,520 |
| Utah | $128,810 | 31,940 |
| Pennsylvania | $126,550 | 55,920 |
| Missouri | $126,120 | 20,020 |
| Michigan | $125,570 | 43,460 |
| Vermont | $125,280 | 1,740 |
| New Mexico | $124,520 | 3,960 |
| Hawaii | $124,040 | 1,600 |
| Maine | $123,120 | 2,790 |
| Wisconsin | $122,660 | 21,730 |
| Alabama | $122,540 | 17,450 |
| Tennessee | $122,430 | 19,030 |
| Montana | $121,990 | 2,160 |
| West Virginia | $121,000 | 2,650 |
| Oklahoma | $118,100 | 6,880 |
| Wyoming | $115,170 | 1,510 |
| Iowa | $114,890 | 9,040 |
| Ohio | $114,090 | 44,790 |
| Kansas | $113,420 | 13,580 |
| Nebraska | $110,900 | 7,260 |
| Kentucky | $109,010 | 7,660 |
| Indiana | $105,920 | 14,130 |
| North Dakota | $105,600 | 1,450 |
| Arkansas | $104,490 | 6,050 |
| Louisiana | $102,800 | 4,080 |
| South Dakota | $96,310 | 2,380 |
| Mississippi | $95,330 | 1,880 |
| Puerto Rico | $79,380 | 2,020 |
Best-paying metro areas for software developers
| Metro area | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $213,110 | 87,350 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $186,640 | 69,030 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $167,280 | 92,770 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $166,830 | 121,000 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $166,090 | 42,310 |
| Boulder, CO | $164,560 | 7,130 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $163,270 | 20,610 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $162,650 | 3,090 |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | $162,090 | 4,370 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $160,920 | 55,540 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $159,430 | 2,170 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $158,290 | 1,680 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $156,910 | 540 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $156,000 | 18,260 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $154,930 | 69,060 |
Metro areas with the most software developers
| Metro area | Workers | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 121,000 | $166,830 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 92,770 | $167,280 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 87,350 | $213,110 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 69,060 | $154,930 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 69,030 | $186,640 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 67,030 | $133,290 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 55,540 | $160,920 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 42,310 | $166,090 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 40,370 | $134,380 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 36,300 | $132,960 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 31,960 | $134,120 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 29,380 | $131,750 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 28,480 | $133,040 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 27,410 | $130,920 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 27,010 | $137,610 |
Related jobs in the U.S.
| Job | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Computer User Support Specialist | $61,860 | $29.74 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | $105,850 | $50.89 |
| Computer Occupations, All Other | $116,580 | $56.05 |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators | $99,130 | $47.66 |
| Information Security Analyst | $129,180 | $62.11 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers | $104,300 | $50.14 |
| Computer Network Architect | $134,050 | $64.45 |
| Computer Network Support Specialist | $76,220 | $36.64 |
| Web and Digital Interface Designers | $104,000 | $50.00 |
| Computer Programmer | $100,390 | $48.26 |
| Web Developer | $92,650 | $44.54 |
| Database Administrator | $104,620 | $50.30 |
| Database Architect | $139,500 | $67.07 |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | $140,300 | $67.45 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 15-1252. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a software developer make in the U.S.?
The median salary for software developers in the U.S. is $135,980 a year, or $65.38 an hour. Pay ranges from $82,460 for the lowest-paid 10% to $214,670 for the top 10%.
How much do the highest-paid software developers make in the U.S.?
The top 10% of software developers in the U.S. earn at least $214,670 a year. The top 25% earn $171,980 or more.
What is the starting pay for software developers in the U.S.?
Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $82,460 a year, and a quarter of software developers earn $105,210 or less.
How many software developers work in the U.S.?
About 1,687,890 software developers are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.