Software Developers · Washington

Software Developers Salary in Washington

Software Developers in Washington earn a median annual wage of $166,540 —22.5% above the national median of $135,980. That ranks WA #2 of 50 covered states and territories for this occupation.

Median annual
$166,540
Median hourly
$80.07
Entry level (P10)
$96,810
10th percentile
Top 10% (P90)
$255,350
90th percentile
Employment
107,030
30.1 per 1,000 jobs
vs U.S. median
+22.5%
U.S. $135,980

Wage distribution

How earnings are spread across workers in this occupation, from the 10th to the 90th percentile.

10th percentile90th percentile
$96,810
$132,290
$166,540
$211,860
$96,810$166,540$255,350
Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $166,540.

Employment is 2.78× as concentrated as the national average, making Washington a strong market for this occupation.

Highest-paying states for software developers

All 50 states ranked by median annual wage. Washington is highlighted.

#StateMedian annual Median hourlyEmploymentLocation quotient
1California$174,410$83.85284,3901.44
2Washington$166,540$80.07107,0302.78
3New York$166,180$79.89113,5101.08
4Massachusetts$165,210$79.4348,1901.22
5Oregon$142,720$68.6221,8301.02
6New Hampshire$139,720$67.1710,8401.46
7Maryland$138,680$66.6731,3501.05
8Colorado$138,390$66.5343,3201.39
9District of Columbia$136,880$65.816,1200.80
10Virginia$136,460$65.6188,2801.98

Related occupations in Washington

Occupations in the same job family, compared within Washington.

OccupationWashington medianU.S. median
Computer User Support Specialists$75,220$61,860
Computer Systems Analysts$129,410$105,850
Computer Occupations, All Other$128,940$116,580
Network and Computer Systems Administrators$103,910$99,130
Data Scientists$163,350$120,230
Information Security Analysts$154,940$129,180

Frequently asked questions

How much do software developers make in Washington?

The median annual wage for software developers in Washington is $166,540, or $80.07 per hour. That is 22.5% above the national median of $135,980.

What is the entry-level software developers salary in Washington?

Workers at the 10th percentile earn $96,810 per year ($46.54/hour). The 25th percentile is $132,290.

How many people work as software developers in Washington?

About 107,030 people work in this occupation in Washington, or 30.1 per 1,000 jobs statewide.

Is Washington a good state for software developers?

Washington ranks #2 of 50 states by median wage for this occupation. Employment is 2.78x as concentrated as the national average, making Washington a strong market for this occupation.

Which state pays software developers the most?

California has the highest median wage at $174,410 per year, followed by Washington ($166,540) and New York ($166,180).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, cross-industry estimates. Retrieved 2026-10-26. Figures are rounded by BLS to the nearest dollar (annual) and cent (hourly). Percentile wages describe the distribution of workers, not the pay range for a single job posting. bls.gov/oes