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The average salary for Application Software Developers in the United States is approximately $104,724 per year, equating to about $50 per hour. Compensation can vary based on factors such as experience, location, and specific industry. For instance, developers with over five years of experience typically earn more than their entry-level counterparts.
Salary rates differ widely across states and cities. States like California, Washington, and New York often offer higher salaries due to the concentration of tech companies and high demand for software development skills. Major cities such as San Francisco and New York City are known for high-paying opportunities, reflecting the local cost of living and competitive job market.
Various industries seek skilled developers, including finance, healthcare, and technology. The need for skilled developers is projected to grow, making this an attractive career path. Job seekers should consider factors such as company culture, benefits, and career advancement opportunities when evaluating positions. For a successful career in application software development, continuous learning and adapting to new technologies are essential.
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The average application software developer salary in California, Washington, and Vermont are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average application software developer salary states are New Mexico, Hawaii, and Kansas.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $121,966 | $58.64 |
| 2 | California | $124,919 | $60.06 |
| 3 | Vermont | $110,533 | $53.14 |
| 4 | Nevada | $106,693 | $51.29 |
| 5 | Maine | $99,368 | $47.77 |
| 6 | Delaware | $98,841 | $47.52 |
| 7 | Oregon | $101,952 | $49.02 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $96,354 | $46.32 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $101,918 | $49.00 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $102,455 | $49.26 |
| 11 | New York | $104,190 | $50.09 |
| 12 | North Dakota | $90,787 | $43.65 |
| 13 | Utah | $91,870 | $44.17 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $97,687 | $46.96 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $91,922 | $44.19 |
| 16 | Arizona | $94,719 | $45.54 |
| 17 | Virginia | $92,600 | $44.52 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $98,087 | $47.16 |
| 19 | Montana | $92,515 | $44.48 |
| 20 | North Carolina | $90,272 | $43.40 |
| 21 | Ohio | $88,065 | $42.34 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $88,298 | $42.45 |
| 23 | Maryland | $92,443 | $44.44 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $86,738 | $41.70 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $87,444 | $42.04 |
| 26 | Idaho | $89,743 | $43.15 |
| 27 | Connecticut | $94,072 | $45.23 |
| 28 | Texas | $88,094 | $42.35 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $83,537 | $40.16 |
| 30 | Illinois | $89,566 | $43.06 |
| 31 | Georgia | $88,175 | $42.39 |
| 32 | Michigan | $87,415 | $42.03 |
| 33 | Minnesota | $88,999 | $42.79 |
| 34 | Alaska | $89,347 | $42.96 |
| 35 | Colorado | $84,822 | $40.78 |
| 36 | Iowa | $85,398 | $41.06 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $83,117 | $39.96 |
| 38 | Indiana | $80,960 | $38.92 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $79,419 | $38.18 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $83,735 | $40.26 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $78,664 | $37.82 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $81,242 | $39.06 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $83,278 | $40.04 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $81,704 | $39.28 |
| 45 | Missouri | $80,613 | $38.76 |
| 46 | Alabama | $79,577 | $38.26 |
| 47 | Kansas | $78,175 | $37.58 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $77,655 | $37.33 |
| 49 | Florida | $80,182 | $38.55 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $76,385 | $36.72 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $76,288 | $36.68 |
The highest-paying cities for application software developers are Menlo Park, CA, Redmond, WA, and Troy, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Menlo Park, CA | $134,779 | $64.80 |
| 2 | Redmond, WA | $122,651 | $58.97 |
| 3 | Troy, NY | $104,946 | $50.45 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $102,101 | $49.09 |
| 5 | Jersey City, NJ | $98,375 | $47.30 |
| 6 | Phoenix, AZ | $94,952 | $45.65 |
| 7 | Hartford, CT | $94,393 | $45.38 |
| 8 | Reston, VA | $93,329 | $44.87 |
| 9 | Philadelphia, PA | $92,589 | $44.51 |
| 10 | Schaumburg, IL | $89,853 | $43.20 |
| 11 | Austin, TX | $89,819 | $43.18 |
| 12 | Charlotte, NC | $89,361 | $42.96 |
| 13 | Bloomington, MN | $88,986 | $42.78 |
| 14 | Alpharetta, GA | $88,098 | $42.35 |
| 15 | Columbus, OH | $87,635 | $42.13 |
| 16 | Troy, MI | $87,545 | $42.09 |
| 17 | Tampa, FL | $81,152 | $39.02 |
| 18 | Columbus, IN | $80,367 | $38.64 |
An application software developer's salary ranges from $80,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $136,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $136,000 | $11,333 | $65 |
| 75th Percentile | $120,000 | $10,000 | $58 |
| Average | $104,724 | $8,727 | $50 |
| 25th Percentile | $90,000 | $7,500 | $43 |
| 10th Percentile | $80,000 | $6,667 | $38 |
The highest paying types of application software developers are lead developer, lead software developer, and software development engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Developer | $100,076 | $8,340 | $48.11 | 262,570 |
| NET Developer | $88,984 | $7,415 | $42.78 | 236,690 |
| PHP Developer | $91,010 | $7,584 | $43.75 | 166,706 |
| Lead Developer | $116,340 | $9,695 | $55.93 | 274,208 |
| Software Engineer | $100,260 | $8,355 | $48.20 | 339,938 |
| Android Developer | $98,495 | $8,208 | $47.35 | 237,147 |
Top companies hiring application software developers now:
Application software developer salaries at The Citadel and Meta are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average application software developer salary at companies like Credit Karma and Airbnb are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Citadel | $167,380 | $80.47 |
| 2 | Meta | $156,553 | $75.27 |
| 3 | Credit Karma | $153,089 | $73.60 |
| 4 | Airbnb | $152,639 | $73.38 |
| 5 | Cloudflare | $150,232 | $72.23 |
| 6 | $148,808 | $71.54 | |
| 7 | $147,894 | $71.10 | |
| 8 | Yelp | $146,904 | $70.63 |
| 9 | Pacific Investment Management Company LLC | $146,893 | $70.62 |
| 10 | Roku | $146,405 | $70.39 |
| 11 | Evernote | $146,240 | $70.31 |
| 12 | Netgear | $146,194 | $70.29 |
| 13 | NerdWallet | $146,061 | $70.22 |
| 14 | Cerberus Capital Management | $145,897 | $70.14 |
| 15 | Apple | $145,626 | $70.01 |
| 16 | AEA Investors | $145,579 | $69.99 |
| 17 | Mayo Clinic | $145,144 | $69.78 |
| 18 | Pure Storage | $145,038 | $69.73 |
| 19 | Lord Abbett | $144,965 | $69.69 |
| 20 | $144,878 | $69.65 |
The average application software developer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional | $121,966 | $58.64 |
| 2 | Finance | $115,468 | $55.51 |
| 3 | Technology | $115,343 | $55.45 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $107,431 | $51.65 |
| 5 | Health Care | $104,080 | $50.04 |
The average application software developer salary has risen by $19,442 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average application software developer earned $85,282 annually, but today, they earn $104,724 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for application software developers over the last decade.
Compare application software developer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare application software developer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $105,000 | $50.35 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $101,000 | $48.69 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $99,000 | $47.59 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $97,200 | $46.75 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $95,600 | $45.96 | +1.8% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leidos Holdings Inc. | Software Application Developer | Reston, VA | 06/26/2025 | $112,450 |
| Leidos Holdings Inc. | Secure Software Application Developer | Tewksbury, MA | 06/24/2025 | $85,150 |
| Vickers & Nolan Enterprises | Software Application Developer | Charleston, SC | 06/21/2025 | $124,000 |
| Boeing | Mid-Level Software Application Developer (Virtual) | Mukilteo, WA | 06/20/2025 | $90,950 |
| Diaconia | Application Programmer-Software Developer | Washington, DC | 06/20/2025 | $75,000 |
| The Boeing Company | IOS Software Application Developer (Virtual) | San Diego, CA | 06/18/2025 | $130,000 |
| Altus | Software Application Developer | Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD | 06/12/2025 | $90,000 |
| Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corporation | Software Applications Developer SME | San Diego, CA | 06/05/2025 | $230,000 |
| UIC Government Services and The Bowhead Family of Companies | Software Applications Developer SME | San Diego, CA | 06/05/2025 | $230,000 |
| Prairie View A&M University | Software Applications Developer I | Prairie View, TX | 05/29/2025 | $49,101 |
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