Software developer salary statistics show a wide U.S. pay distribution. In May 2023, the occupation had an estimated 1,656,880 jobs and a national mean annual wage of $138,110. The median was $132,270, while the 10th and 90th percentiles were $77,020 and $208,620, respectively. The figures below separate mean wages, median wages, percentiles, employment counts, dates, and geography so that each comparison stays meaningful.
Contents
- National salary distribution
- Salary by industry
- State employment and pay
- Metropolitan employment and pay
- May 2024 salary benchmarks
- May 2025 salary benchmarks
National salary distribution
The May 2023 national estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) describe both the size of the occupation and how annual wages were distributed. The Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023: 15-1252 Software Developers report estimated 1,656,880 software developer jobs in the United States.
The national mean annual wage was $138,110. The mean is an average, so it can be influenced by high wages and should not be treated as the typical worker’s pay. The median annual wage was $132,270: half of reported wages were below that level and half were above it.
The percentile figures provide a more detailed view of the distribution:
- The 10th-percentile annual wage was $77,020.
- The 25th-percentile annual wage was $101,200.
- The median, or 50th percentile, was $132,270.
- The 75th-percentile annual wage was $167,540.
- The 90th-percentile annual wage was $208,620.
That spread matters when interpreting salary claims. A single national average does not describe entry-level, middle-market, and upper-percentile pay equally. These are employer-reported occupational estimates, and the BLS notes that OEWS figures exclude self-employed workers. Annual OEWS wages generally use a 2,080-hour year-round full-time conversion.
Salary by industry
Industry changes the context around a software developer salary. In May 2023, computer systems design and related services employed 547,150 software developers, with a $130,390 mean annual wage. Software publishers employed 165,260 developers and reported a $148,610 mean. Management of companies and enterprises employed 86,460 developers at a $133,280 mean.
Computing infrastructure providers, data processing, web hosting, and related services employed 73,990 software developers, with a $142,940 mean annual wage. Management, scientific, and technical consulting services employed 57,300 developers at a $122,760 mean. Employment counts and means describe different dimensions: a large industry can have many jobs without having the highest average wage.
The BLS industry table also reported high mean wages in several smaller or differently defined categories. Web search portals, libraries, archives, and other information services paid software developers a $215,840 mean annual wage. Taxi and limousine services reported a $187,550 mean. Media streaming distribution services, social networks, and other media networks and content providers reported a $180,570 mean. Computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing reported a $179,480 mean.
These industry figures should be read as category-specific May 2023 estimates. They are not interchangeable with the national median, and they do not establish that every employer or every role in an industry pays the listed mean.
State employment and pay
State comparisons show how both concentration and average pay vary across the country. The following May 2023 OEWS state estimates pair the number of software developers with the state’s mean annual wage.
| State | Employment | Mean annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| California | 304,390 | $173,780 |
| New York | 105,460 | $150,020 |
| Washington | 89,110 | $159,990 |
| Massachusetts | 59,960 | $146,580 |
| Colorado | 45,270 | $145,420 |
| Maryland | 30,700 | $150,740 |
California had 304,390 software developers and a $173,780 mean annual wage, according to California - May 2023 OEWS State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates. Washington had 89,110 developers and a $159,990 mean, as reported in Washington - May 2023 OEWS State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates.
New York had 105,460 software developers with a $150,020 mean annual wage; the figures appear in New York - May 2023 OEWS State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates. Massachusetts had 59,960 developers and a $146,580 mean, according to Massachusetts - May 2023 OEWS State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates.
Maryland had 30,700 software developers and a $150,740 mean annual wage, based on Maryland - May 2023 OEWS State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates. Colorado had 45,270 developers and a $145,420 mean, as shown in Colorado - May 2023 OEWS State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates.
The state numbers are May 2023 estimates, not current-year guarantees. They also use mean wages rather than the national median, so comparisons should not mix those measures without labeling the difference.
Metropolitan employment and pay
Metropolitan areas can provide a more localized view than state totals. In May 2023, the New York-Newark-Jersey City metropolitan area had 119,010 software developers with a $152,100 mean annual wage. The source is New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA - May 2023 OEWS Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates.
The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara area had 96,590 developers and a $199,800 mean annual wage, according to the national BLS occupational page for the May 2023 metropolitan estimate. The San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward area had 83,920 developers and a $181,220 mean, as reported in San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA - May 2023 OEWS Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates.
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue had 75,960 software developers and a $164,130 mean annual wage. Those figures are in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA - May 2023 OEWS Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria had 72,010 developers and a $148,480 mean, according to Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV - May 2023 OEWS Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates.
The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area had 59,570 software developers and a $128,100 mean annual wage. The BLS source is Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX - May 2023 OEWS Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates.
| Metropolitan area | Employment | Mean annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | 96,590 | $199,800 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward | 83,920 | $181,220 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | 75,960 | $164,130 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | 119,010 | $152,100 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | 72,010 | $148,480 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | 59,570 | $128,100 |
Metropolitan and state categories are not interchangeable populations. A metro area can cross state boundaries, while a state estimate includes locations outside the listed metro areas.
May 2024 salary benchmarks
The BLS Software Developers, Quality Assurance Analysts, and Testers: Occupational Outlook Handbook gives newer national benchmarks for May 2024. The median annual wage for U.S. software developers was $133,080. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $79,850 annually, while the highest 10 percent earned more than $211,450.
The May 2024 industry medians were $149,990 for software publishers, $134,910 for manufacturing, $133,650 for management of companies and enterprises, $132,880 for finance and insurance, and $129,890 for computer systems design and related services.
These are medians, not the May 2023 industry means above. The date and measure changed, so the figures are best used as a newer benchmark rather than combined into one distribution.
May 2025 salary benchmarks
The BLS Software Developers, Quality Assurance Analysts, and Testers: Occupational Outlook Handbook reports May 2025 national benchmarks. The median annual wage was $135,980. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $82,460, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $214,670.
Industry medians for May 2025 were $164,550 for software publishers, $136,330 for manufacturing, $135,680 for management of companies and enterprises, $135,460 for finance and insurance, and $132,050 for computer systems design and related services.
The 2025 numbers are explicitly dated benchmarks and should not be presented as May 2023 state or metropolitan estimates. Across this article, the BLS measures remain distinct: national percentiles and medians describe wage distribution, industry figures describe employer categories, and state or metropolitan figures describe geographic estimates. That distinction is essential when using software developer salary statistics to evaluate a role, location, or career path.