Software Developer Salary By State: Highest-Paid Software Developers by State [2026]
Research Summary. Extensive analysis by the Zippia data science team has revealed detailed insights into software developer salaries across the United States for 2026:
-
California tops the list with the highest software developer salary at $105,486.
-
Wyoming has the lowest software developer salary, recorded at $65,339.
-
The national average salary for software developers stands at $87,521.
-
The national hourly wage for software developers is $42.08.
Learn more about our specific methodology.
Background
Salary remains a crucial factor for job seekers, consistently ranking as the most important aspect of employment across demographics. A common inquiry for many is: how much do software developers earn in my state?
While individual salaries can vary based on numerous factors, average salaries for software developers by state provide a helpful overview. These figures are categorized by seniority level, enabling a clearer picture of potential earnings. California continues to lead the way with the highest average salary for software developers.
Here’s a snapshot of the top ten states for software developer salaries:
Let’s delve deeper into the full ranking of software developer salaries across all states.
Highest-Paid Software Developers By State
| Rank | State | Average Software Developer Salary | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $105,486 | $77,000 | $142,000 |
| 2 | Washington | $105,203 | $78,000 | $140,000 |
| 3 | Oregon | $91,925 | $68,000 | $123,000 |
| 4 | New York | $91,105 | $70,000 | $116,000 |
| 5 | Nevada | $90,445 | $67,000 | $121,000 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $89,454 | $69,000 | $114,000 |
| 7 | Virginia | $88,203 | $68,000 | $113,000 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $87,621 | $68,000 | $112,000 |
| 9 | Delaware | $86,941 | $67,000 | $111,000 |
| 10 | Maryland | $86,640 | $67,000 | $111,000 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $85,696 | $67,000 | $109,000 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $85,019 | $66,000 | $109,000 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $84,664 | $65,000 | $108,000 |
| 14 | Vermont | $83,969 | $65,000 | $106,000 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $83,927 | $65,000 | $107,000 |
| 16 | Arizona | $83,223 | $62,000 | $110,000 |
| 17 | North Carolina | $82,616 | $64,000 | $106,000 |
| 18 | Texas | $81,030 | $61,000 | $107,000 |
| 19 | Idaho | $80,470 | $59,000 | $107,000 |
| 20 | Maine | $80,306 | $63,000 | $102,000 |
| 21 | Ohio | $80,214 | $62,000 | $102,000 |
| 22 | Illinois | $79,152 | $61,000 | $101,000 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $78,926 | $61,000 | $100,000 |
| 24 | Michigan | $77,535 | $60,000 | $99,000 |
| 25 | Alaska | $77,357 | $61,000 | $97,000 |
| 26 | Montana | $77,227 | $58,000 | $101,000 |
| 27 | Utah | $77,101 | $57,000 | $103,000 |
| 28 | Georgia | $77,037 | $59,000 | $99,000 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $76,747 | $60,000 | $97,000 |
| 30 | Colorado | $75,164 | $57,000 | $98,000 |
| 31 | Iowa | $75,032 | $58,000 | $95,000 |
| 32 | South Carolina | $74,873 | $58,000 | $96,000 |
| 33 | Indiana | $74,593 | $58,000 | $95,000 |
| 34 | Missouri | $73,986 | $57,000 | $94,000 |
| 35 | Florida | $73,869 | $55,000 | $98,000 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $73,773 | $58,000 | $92,000 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $73,333 | $57,000 | $93,000 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $73,123 | $57,000 | $93,000 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $72,888 | $56,000 | $93,000 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $72,747 | $56,000 | $93,000 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $72,312 | $55,000 | $94,000 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $72,006 | $55,000 | $92,000 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $71,312 | $53,000 | $94,000 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $70,719 | $54,000 | $91,000 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $70,698 | $55,000 | $90,000 |
| 46 | Alabama | $70,621 | $54,000 | $91,000 |
| 47 | Kansas | $70,041 | $54,000 | $89,000 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $69,953 | $54,000 | $90,000 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $69,233 | $53,000 | $88,000 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $65,339 | $49,000 | $85,000 |
Methodology: Software Developer Salary By State
To provide insight into software developer salaries by state, Zippia has compiled data from various reputable sources, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Federal Labor Commission (FLC), and Office of Personnel Management (OPM). This data is supplemented with actual salaries from job postings, allowing our data science team to calculate a weighted average for software developer salaries across states.
We ranked each state based on its average annual salary, with the highest salary indicating the best pay for software developers.
Software Developer Salary By State FAQs
-
What is the highest-paid state for software developers?
The highest-paid state for software developers is California, with an average salary of $105,486 per year.
-
What city pays software developers the most?
San Francisco, CA offers the highest average salary for software developers at $112,889 per year.
-
What is the worst state for software developers?
Wyoming ranks as the worst state for software developers, with an average salary of $65,339 per year.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
