Software Developers Salary
Computer and Mathematical Occupations · 1.7M employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$135,980
Median hourly
$65
Average annual
$148,100
Typical range
$82,460–$214,670
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Software Developers is $135,980 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $65 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Research, design, and develop computer and network software or specialized utility programs. Analyze user needs and develop software solutions, applying principles and techniques of computer science, engineering, and mathematical analysis.
Most earn between $82,460 and $214,670 a year. There are roughly 1.7M people employed as software developers in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Software Developers.
- Hourly
- $65.38
- Daily
- $523
- Weekly
- $2,615
- Bi-weekly
- $5,230
- Monthly
- $11,332
- Annual
- $135,980
$135,980 a year is around the 50th percentile for Software Developerss. The median is $135,980.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1California$174,410
- 2Washington$166,540
- 3New York$166,180
- 4Massachusetts$165,210
- 5Oregon$142,720
- 6New Hampshire$139,720
- 7Maryland$138,680
- 8Colorado$138,390
- 9District of Columbia$136,880
- 10Virginia$136,460
- 11New Jersey$135,940
- 12North Carolina$134,710
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$213,110
- 2San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$186,640
- 3Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$167,280
- 4New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$166,830
- 5Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$166,090
- 6Boulder, CO$164,560
- 7San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$163,270
- 8Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$162,650
- 9Manchester-Nashua, NH$162,090
- 10Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$160,920
- 11Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$159,430
- 12Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$158,290
Related job titles
Employers advertise Software Developers roles under these titles.
- Android Developer
- AngularJS Developer
- Apache Hadoop Developer
- Application Architect
- Application Developer
- Application Integration Engineer
- Application Integrator
- Application Support Engineer
- Application Systems Architect
- Applications Analyst
- Applications Developer
- Applications Engineer
- Applications Programmer
- Applications System Analyst
- Artificial Intelligence Specialist (AI Specialist)
- ASP.NET Developer
Related occupations
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Software Developers make?
- The median annual wage for Software Developers is $135,980 ($65 per hour). Pay ranges from about $82,460 at the 10th percentile to $214,670 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Software Developers?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $148,100, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Software Developerss the most?
- California has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $174,410.
- Is Software Developers a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 1.7M people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.