Computer Programmers Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for computer programmers is $100,390, or $48.26 per hour. About 92,230 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $133,820 in Connecticut to $58,240 in South Dakota.
Wage distribution nationwide
Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Salary by state
All 46 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.
| # | State | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $133,820 | $64.34 | 1,650 | 1.64 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $128,390 | $61.73 | 1,930 | 0.89 |
| 3 | Washington | $125,620 | $60.39 | 2,540 | 1.21 |
| 4 | Maryland | $125,570 | $60.37 | 2,490 | 1.52 |
| 5 | Virginia | $121,610 | $58.47 | 3,070 | 1.26 |
| 6 | Hawaii | $118,180 | $56.82 | 450 | 1.22 |
| 7 | California | $116,760 | $56.13 | 11,340 | 1.05 |
| 8 | Arkansas | $111,840 | $53.77 | 1,050 | 1.36 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $107,250 | $51.56 | 2,070 | 1.18 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $104,940 | $50.45 | 3,930 | 1.55 |
| 11 | Utah | $104,890 | $50.43 | 690 | 0.67 |
| 12 | Colorado | $104,610 | $50.29 | 930 | 0.54 |
| 13 | New York | $103,980 | $49.99 | 7,020 | 1.22 |
| 14 | Maine | $101,780 | $48.93 | 450 | 1.20 |
| 15 | Oklahoma | $99,780 | $47.97 | 990 | 0.97 |
| 16 | South Carolina | $99,740 | $47.95 | 790 | 0.58 |
| 17 | Oregon | $99,540 | $47.85 | 1,370 | 1.17 |
| 18 | Texas | $99,330 | $47.76 | 7,620 | 0.91 |
| 19 | Georgia | $98,380 | $47.30 | 1,890 | 0.65 |
| 20 | Indiana | $97,000 | $46.64 | 1,520 | 0.80 |
| 21 | Rhode Island | $96,470 | $46.38 | 250 | 0.85 |
| 22 | Nebraska | $95,150 | $45.75 | 1,090 | 1.79 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $94,850 | $45.60 | 950 | 0.80 |
| 24 | Alabama | $93,800 | $45.10 | 890 | 0.71 |
| 25 | Nevada | $93,600 | $45.00 | 840 | 0.91 |
| 26 | Florida | $93,180 | $44.80 | 4,760 | 0.81 |
| 27 | Kansas | $92,960 | $44.69 | 460 | 0.54 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $92,280 | $44.37 | 190 | 0.75 |
| 29 | Alaska | $91,700 | $44.09 | 530 | 2.75 |
| 30 | Missouri | $90,420 | $43.47 | 1,520 | 0.87 |
| 31 | Montana | $89,920 | $43.23 | — | — |
| 32 | Vermont | $89,560 | $43.06 | 170 | 0.94 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $89,180 | $42.87 | 3,120 | 0.87 |
| 34 | Idaho | $89,020 | $42.80 | — | — |
| 35 | Arizona | $88,990 | $42.78 | 1,560 | 0.81 |
| 36 | Ohio | $85,270 | $41.00 | 2,100 | 0.64 |
| 37 | Mississippi | $85,120 | $40.92 | 1,170 | 1.70 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $83,750 | $40.26 | 600 | 1.16 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $81,640 | $39.25 | 60 | 0.34 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $81,070 | $38.98 | 4,120 | 1.41 |
| 41 | Iowa | $79,180 | $38.07 | 950 | 1.03 |
| 42 | New Hampshire | $74,000 | $35.58 | — | — |
| 43 | Illinois | $72,540 | $34.88 | 1,280 | 0.35 |
| 44 | Michigan | $65,860 | $31.67 | 4,400 | 1.69 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $65,320 | $31.40 | 140 | 0.33 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $58,240 | $28.00 | 70 | 0.25 |
Related occupations
Same job family, ranked by national employment.
Frequently asked questions
How much do computer programmers make?
The median annual wage for computer programmers in the United States is $100,390, or $48.26 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $57,710, and the top 10% earn $160,460.
How many computer programmers are employed in the U.S.?
About 92,230 people work as computer programmers nationwide.
Which state pays computer programmers the most?
Connecticut pays the most at a median of $133,820, followed by Massachusetts ($128,390) and Washington ($125,620).
Which state pays computer programmers the least?
South Dakota has the lowest median at $58,240.
Where are computer programmers jobs most concentrated?
The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Alaska at 2.75×.