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Software Developers Salary by State
There were an estimated 1,654,440 software developers working in the United States in May 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey. The typical (median) software developer earned $133,080 a year, or $63.98 an hour, while the mean annual wage was $144,570. Pay spans a wide range even inside the same occupation: the lowest-paid 10% of software developers earned $79,850 or less, the bottom quarter earned $103,050 or less, the top quarter earned at least $169,000, and the top 10% earned at least $211,450. Where a software developer works matters almost as much as the job itself, as the state table below shows.
Where software developers earn the most — and least
The highest median pay for software developers is in California, at $170,910 a year — 28.4% higher than the national median of $133,080. Next are Washington at $166,910 and New York at $161,260. At the other end, Mississippi posts the lowest published median, $86,460, which is 35.0% lower than the national figure. That is a top-to-bottom spread of about 2.0 times between the highest- and lowest-paying states for the same occupation — a gap driven by local labor markets, licensing, employer mix, and cost of living rather than by differences in the job title itself.
Where the software developer jobs are
Employment is concentrated in a handful of large states. California alone employs 292,630 software developers, and the three largest states — California, Texas, and New York — together account for 33% of all U.S. jobs in this occupation. Pay in the largest market, California, runs at a median of $170,910, 28.4% higher than the national median, so the biggest job market is also one of the better-paying ones. Smaller states can still be attractive: several low-population states post medians close to the national figure with far less competition for each opening.
Software Developer salary by state — full table
Median and mean annual wages for software developers in every state where BLS publishes an estimate for May 2024, ranked by median pay. The 90th-percentile column shows what the top-earning tenth of software developers in each state make. Follow a state link for that state's full wage tables, or open a detailed guide where one is available.
| State | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Detailed guide | 292,630 | $82.17 | $170,910 | $185,750 | $239,200+ |
| Washington Detailed guide | 91,470 | $80.24 | $166,910 | $175,600 | $239,200+ |
| New York Detailed guide | 104,130 | $77.53 | $161,260 | $159,990 | $223,480 |
| Massachusetts | 54,260 | $72.37 | $150,520 | $153,650 | $208,220 |
| Maryland | 31,940 | $66.29 | $137,890 | $150,800 | $218,190 |
| District of Columbia | 8,250 | $65.40 | $136,040 | $143,810 | $203,560 |
| Oregon | 21,100 | $65.03 | $135,260 | $146,650 | $211,750 |
| Delaware | 3,850 | $64.98 | $135,160 | $136,170 | $169,070 |
| Colorado | 48,980 | $64.68 | $134,540 | $147,750 | $210,760 |
| Virginia | 83,290 | $64.65 | $134,470 | $142,230 | $208,480 |
| New Hampshire | 8,010 | $63.67 | $132,420 | $139,860 | $199,160 |
| New Jersey | 57,120 | $63.65 | $132,400 | $140,520 | $205,420 |
| North Carolina | 57,590 | $62.98 | $131,000 | $131,780 | $173,660 |
| Connecticut | 16,490 | $62.92 | $130,870 | $136,530 | $203,160 |
| Vermont | — | $62.85 | $130,720 | $134,320 | $203,530 |
| Texas Detailed guide | 151,460 | $62.74 | $130,500 | $133,280 | $174,710 |
| Nevada | 4,640 | $62.03 | $129,030 | $137,920 | $203,840 |
| Georgia | 47,350 | $61.98 | $128,920 | $128,310 | $173,650 |
| Arizona | 35,650 | $61.87 | $128,690 | $133,140 | $186,280 |
| Rhode Island | 6,010 | $61.86 | $128,660 | $126,810 | $168,020 |
| Illinois | 54,490 | $61.43 | $127,770 | $127,030 | $172,020 |
| Utah | 29,160 | $61.25 | $127,390 | $126,650 | $176,990 |
| Florida | 82,610 | $60.84 | $126,550 | $128,290 | $174,030 |
| Minnesota | 39,580 | $59.88 | $124,540 | $121,600 | $166,910 |
| Pennsylvania | 47,350 | $59.49 | $123,740 | $122,240 | $167,290 |
| New Mexico | 4,810 | $58.09 | $120,820 | $120,080 | $179,270 |
| Hawaii | 1,940 | $57.64 | $119,880 | $124,960 | $194,220 |
| Alaska | 430 | $57.50 | $119,600 | $132,940 | $196,500 |
| Tennessee | 18,750 | $56.41 | $117,340 | $117,940 | $164,420 |
| Nebraska | 8,940 | $55.97 | $116,420 | $116,110 | $146,310 |
| Missouri | 17,060 | $55.07 | $114,550 | $114,240 | $163,270 |
| Maine | 2,740 | $54.71 | $113,800 | $118,110 | $170,700 |
| Alabama | 18,020 | $54.34 | $113,020 | $117,380 | $176,060 |
| Wyoming | 1,020 | $54.13 | $112,590 | $121,500 | $163,840 |
| Iowa | 9,840 | $52.81 | $109,850 | $116,000 | $169,200 |
| South Carolina | 12,230 | $52.25 | $108,690 | $119,610 | $179,670 |
| Idaho | 4,960 | $51.87 | $107,900 | $125,460 | $168,060 |
| Michigan | 41,490 | $51.84 | $107,820 | $114,890 | $161,850 |
| Ohio | 44,280 | $51.77 | $107,690 | $116,330 | $165,640 |
| Oklahoma | 7,150 | $51.65 | $107,420 | $112,920 | $167,040 |
| Kansas | 15,850 | $51.28 | $106,660 | $112,900 | $163,670 |
| Kentucky | 7,070 | $51.06 | $106,200 | $114,200 | $164,770 |
| Indiana | 12,690 | $49.79 | $103,570 | $107,610 | $151,450 |
| West Virginia | 2,280 | $49.79 | $103,550 | $107,330 | $160,660 |
| Wisconsin | 22,170 | $49.69 | $103,360 | $114,030 | $162,220 |
| Louisiana | 3,870 | $49.18 | $102,290 | $119,790 | $154,220 |
| Montana | 2,070 | $48.17 | $100,190 | $120,950 | $216,250 |
| North Dakota | 1,510 | $47.38 | $98,550 | $103,610 | $153,280 |
| Arkansas | 6,390 | $46.55 | $96,820 | $100,380 | $160,700 |
| South Dakota | 2,190 | $42.20 | $87,770 | $93,390 | $130,610 |
| Mississippi | 3,200 | $41.57 | $86,460 | $87,990 | $136,390 |
Software Developer wages in U.S. territories
| Area | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virgin Islands | 40 | $78.28 | $162,820 | $139,540 | $163,530 |
| Puerto Rico | 1,580 | $30.94 | $64,350 | $68,270 | $100,710 |
How to read these numbers
The median is the middle wage: half of software developers earn more and half earn less. The mean is pulled up by the highest earners, which is why the mean of $144,570 sits above the median of $133,080 for this occupation. OEWS wages are gross pay before taxes and benefits, and BLS converts hourly rates to annual figures on a 2,080-hour, year-round full-time basis; part-time and seasonal workers' actual annual earnings can be lower. Figures marked with a plus sign are at or above the BLS reporting cap of $239,200 a year ($115.00 an hour).
Software Developer salary FAQ
What is the average software developer salary?
BLS put the mean annual wage for software developers at $144,570 in May 2024, with a median of $133,080 ($63.98 an hour) across 1,654,440 U.S. jobs.
Which state pays software developers the most?
California has the highest median pay for software developers, at $170,910 a year in May 2024 — 28.4% higher than the national median of $133,080.
Which state pays software developers the least?
Among states where BLS publishes an estimate, Mississippi has the lowest median for software developers, at $86,460 a year, 35.0% lower than the national median.
How many software developers are there in the United States?
BLS estimated 1,654,440 software developers jobs in May 2024. The largest state market is California, with 292,630 jobs.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Figures checked October 2026.