Software Developers Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for software developers is $135,980, or $65.38 per hour. About 1,687,890 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $174,410 in California to $95,330 in Mississippi.
Wage distribution nationwide
Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Salary by state
All 50 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.
| # | State | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $174,410 | $83.85 | 284,390 | 1.44 |
| 2 | Washington | $166,540 | $80.07 | 107,030 | 2.78 |
| 3 | New York | $166,180 | $79.89 | 113,510 | 1.08 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $165,210 | $79.43 | 48,190 | 1.22 |
| 5 | Oregon | $142,720 | $68.62 | 21,830 | 1.02 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $139,720 | $67.17 | 10,840 | 1.46 |
| 7 | Maryland | $138,680 | $66.67 | 31,350 | 1.05 |
| 8 | Colorado | $138,390 | $66.53 | 43,320 | 1.39 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $136,880 | $65.81 | 6,120 | 0.80 |
| 10 | Virginia | $136,460 | $65.61 | 88,280 | 1.98 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $135,940 | $65.36 | 51,570 | 1.11 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $134,710 | $64.76 | 58,470 | 1.09 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $134,120 | $64.48 | 13,660 | 0.74 |
| 14 | Delaware | $133,020 | $63.95 | 3,380 | 0.64 |
| 15 | Texas | $132,150 | $63.54 | 163,880 | 1.07 |
| 16 | Illinois | $132,110 | $63.52 | 56,310 | 0.85 |
| 17 | Idaho | $131,590 | $63.26 | 5,750 | 0.62 |
| 18 | Georgia | $131,010 | $62.99 | 49,700 | 0.94 |
| 19 | Florida | $130,980 | $62.97 | 87,890 | 0.82 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $130,590 | $62.78 | 5,070 | 0.93 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $130,050 | $62.52 | 35,890 | 1.12 |
| 22 | Arizona | $129,690 | $62.35 | 38,050 | 1.08 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $129,450 | $62.24 | 13,230 | 0.53 |
| 24 | Utah | $128,810 | $61.93 | 31,940 | 1.70 |
| 25 | Nevada | $128,810 | $61.93 | 4,520 | 0.27 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $126,550 | $60.84 | 55,920 | 0.85 |
| 27 | Missouri | $126,120 | $60.64 | 20,020 | 0.63 |
| 28 | Michigan | $125,570 | $60.37 | 43,460 | 0.91 |
| 29 | Vermont | $125,280 | $60.23 | 1,740 | 0.53 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $124,520 | $59.86 | 3,960 | 0.42 |
| 31 | Hawaii | $124,040 | $59.64 | 1,600 | 0.23 |
| 32 | Maine | $123,120 | $59.19 | 2,790 | 0.40 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $122,660 | $58.97 | 21,730 | 0.68 |
| 34 | Alabama | $122,540 | $58.91 | 17,450 | 0.76 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $122,430 | $58.86 | 19,030 | 0.53 |
| 36 | Montana | $121,990 | $58.65 | 2,160 | 0.39 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $121,000 | $58.18 | 2,650 | 0.35 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $118,100 | $56.78 | 6,880 | 0.37 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $115,170 | $55.37 | 1,510 | 0.49 |
| 40 | Iowa | $114,890 | $55.24 | 9,040 | 0.53 |
| 41 | Ohio | $114,090 | $54.85 | 44,790 | 0.74 |
| 42 | Kansas | $113,420 | $54.53 | 13,580 | 0.87 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $110,900 | $53.32 | 7,260 | 0.65 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $109,010 | $52.41 | 7,660 | 0.35 |
| 45 | Indiana | $105,920 | $50.92 | 14,130 | 0.41 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $105,600 | $50.77 | 1,450 | 0.31 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $104,490 | $50.23 | 6,050 | 0.43 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $102,800 | $49.42 | 4,080 | 0.19 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $96,310 | $46.30 | 2,380 | 0.48 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $95,330 | $45.83 | 1,880 | 0.15 |
Related occupations
Same job family, ranked by national employment.
Frequently asked questions
How much do software developers make?
The median annual wage for software developers in the United States is $135,980, or $65.38 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $82,460, and the top 10% earn $214,670.
How many software developers are employed in the U.S.?
About 1,687,890 people work as software developers nationwide.
Which state pays software developers the most?
California pays the most at a median of $174,410, followed by Washington ($166,540) and New York ($166,180).
Which state pays software developers the least?
Mississippi has the lowest median at $95,330.
Where are software developers jobs most concentrated?
The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Washington at 2.78×.