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As of October 2025, the average salary for an Applications Programmer stands at $85,133 annually. Factors influencing this figure include geographical location, years of experience, and the industry in which one is employed. For example, states like California and New York typically offer higher salaries due to the high demand for tech talent.
Entry-level positions may start at around $60,000, while experienced programmers can earn well over $100,000. This significant variance emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and skill development in advancing one’s career.
Industries such as finance, healthcare, and technology often provide the highest salaries for Applications Programmers. Companies seeking specialized skills, especially in software development and application design, are willing to offer competitive pay to attract top talent.
With the technology sector continuously evolving, Applications Programmers have numerous opportunities to enhance their career and salary potential. By understanding regional salary differences and industry standards, professionals can make informed decisions that align with their career goals.
Let Zippi find your next applications programmer job
Let Zippi find your next applications programmer job
The highest-paying states for applications programmers are Washington, North Carolina, and California. The lowest average applications programmer salary states are Arkansas, Utah, and Montana.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $91,764 | $44.12 |
| 2 | North Carolina | $94,262 | $45.32 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $92,299 | $44.37 |
| 4 | Maryland | $92,420 | $44.43 |
| 5 | Delaware | $87,330 | $41.99 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $95,175 | $45.76 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $89,425 | $42.99 |
| 8 | Washington | $102,981 | $49.51 |
| 9 | California | $92,768 | $44.60 |
| 10 | Kentucky | $87,001 | $41.83 |
| 11 | Maine | $86,523 | $41.60 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $83,910 | $40.34 |
| 13 | Idaho | $81,982 | $39.41 |
| 14 | Oregon | $83,660 | $40.22 |
| 15 | New York | $87,951 | $42.28 |
| 16 | Georgia | $83,001 | $39.90 |
| 17 | Indiana | $79,062 | $38.01 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $85,032 | $40.88 |
| 19 | Nevada | $83,876 | $40.33 |
| 20 | Illinois | $80,142 | $38.53 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $81,020 | $38.95 |
| 22 | Ohio | $79,265 | $38.11 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $81,005 | $38.94 |
| 24 | Alabama | $80,445 | $38.68 |
| 25 | Virginia | $87,445 | $42.04 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $78,579 | $37.78 |
| 27 | South Carolina | $80,417 | $38.66 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $79,373 | $38.16 |
| 29 | Vermont | $83,541 | $40.16 |
| 30 | Arizona | $76,784 | $36.92 |
| 31 | Michigan | $77,677 | $37.34 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $77,084 | $37.06 |
| 33 | Iowa | $76,358 | $36.71 |
| 34 | Alaska | $77,108 | $37.07 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $76,905 | $36.97 |
| 36 | Florida | $72,934 | $35.06 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $76,912 | $36.98 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $73,653 | $35.41 |
| 39 | Kansas | $70,422 | $33.86 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $74,012 | $35.58 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $71,499 | $34.37 |
| 42 | Colorado | $69,337 | $33.34 |
| 43 | Texas | $73,499 | $35.34 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $68,617 | $32.99 |
| 45 | Missouri | $71,212 | $34.24 |
| 46 | Montana | $67,112 | $32.27 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $69,523 | $33.42 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $59,754 | $28.73 |
| 49 | Utah | $67,198 | $32.31 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $66,207 | $31.83 |
| 51 | New Mexico | $61,648 | $29.64 |
The highest-paying cities for applications programmers are San Francisco, CA, Washington, DC, and Cary, NC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $100,884 | $48.50 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $95,243 | $45.79 |
| 3 | Cary, NC | $95,127 | $45.73 |
| 4 | Greenwich, CT | $92,542 | $44.49 |
| 5 | Quincy, MA | $89,542 | $43.05 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $88,232 | $42.42 |
| 7 | Wilmington, DE | $87,301 | $41.97 |
| 8 | Richmond, VA | $87,243 | $41.94 |
| 9 | Middletown, NJ | $85,208 | $40.97 |
| 10 | Atlanta, GA | $82,997 | $39.90 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $80,420 | $38.66 |
| 12 | Bloomington, MN | $79,295 | $38.12 |
| 13 | Dearborn, MI | $77,809 | $37.41 |
| 14 | Phoenix, AZ | $76,914 | $36.98 |
| 15 | Jacksonville, FL | $76,236 | $36.65 |
| 16 | Austin, TX | $75,692 | $36.39 |
| 17 | Monroe, LA | $72,838 | $35.02 |
| 18 | Overland Park, KS | $71,109 | $34.19 |
| 19 | Colorado Springs, CO | $69,161 | $33.25 |
| 20 | Bentonville, AR | $67,776 | $32.58 |
An applications programmer's salary ranges from $64,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $112,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $112,000 | $9,333 | $54 |
| 75th Percentile | $98,000 | $8,167 | $47 |
| Average | $85,133 | $7,094 | $41 |
| 25th Percentile | $73,000 | $6,083 | $35 |
| 10th Percentile | $64,000 | $5,333 | $31 |
The highest paying types of applications programmers are lead programmer, senior programmer, and programmer/analyst lead.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Java/J2ee Developer | $90,995 | $7,583 | $43.75 | 237,912 |
| Software Developer | $87,521 | $7,293 | $42.08 | 294,329 |
| Developer | $100,076 | $8,340 | $48.11 | 262,570 |
| Software Engineer | $100,260 | $8,355 | $48.20 | 339,938 |
| Programmer Analyst | $71,563 | $5,964 | $34.41 | 248,781 |
| Software Programmer | $71,612 | $5,968 | $34.43 | 253,235 |
Top companies hiring applications programmers now:
Applications programmer salaries at Dropbox and Broadcom are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average applications programmer salary at companies like Citicorp North America, Inc and Bloomberg are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dropbox | $120,549 | $57.96 |
| 2 | Broadcom | $119,175 | $57.30 |
| 3 | Citicorp North America, Inc | $114,205 | $54.91 |
| 4 | Bloomberg | $112,482 | $54.08 |
| 5 | National Semiconductor | $112,454 | $54.06 |
| 6 | Spectrum Systems | $111,211 | $53.47 |
| 7 | Reynolds and Reynolds | $109,039 | $52.42 |
| 8 | Interactive Brokers | $108,957 | $52.38 |
| 9 | Citi | $108,319 | $52.08 |
| 10 | Autodesk | $108,258 | $52.05 |
| 11 | University of California | $108,220 | $52.03 |
| 12 | ICU Medical | $107,066 | $51.47 |
| 13 | Amgen | $106,182 | $51.05 |
| 14 | Bank of America | $105,806 | $50.87 |
| 15 | Blue Shield of California | $105,589 | $50.76 |
| 16 | Eisai | $104,576 | $50.28 |
| 17 | SMSC | $104,385 | $50.19 |
| 18 | Merrill Lynch | $102,961 | $49.50 |
| 19 | Booz Allen Hamilton | $102,072 | $49.07 |
| 20 | TEKsystems | $101,221 | $48.66 |
The average applications programmer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $99,211 | $47.70 |
| 2 | Telecommunication | $87,974 | $42.30 |
| 3 | Technology | $83,241 | $40.02 |
| 4 | Government | $67,302 | $32.36 |
The average applications programmer salary has risen by $15,791 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average applications programmer earned $69,342 annually, but today, they earn $85,133 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for applications programmers over the last decade.
Compare applications programmer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare applications programmer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $85,100 | $40.93 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $82,300 | $39.58 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $80,500 | $38.68 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $78,500 | $37.75 | +2.9% |
| 2021 | $76,200 | $36.65 | +0.4% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State of New York | Computer Applications Programmer Series (JG) (#1585) | Brunswick, NY | 06/18/2025 | $99,490 |
| The Juilliard School | Enterprise Applications Programmer | New York, NY | 06/10/2025 | $85,000 |
| Atlanta Postal Credit Union | Programmer-Symitar-Poweron-Core Banking Application | Atlanta, GA | 06/10/2025 | $70,287 |
| The University of Central Florida Board of Trustees | Applications Programmer IV-Peoplesoft Campus Solutions | Orlando, FL | 06/06/2025 | $75,809 |
| University of Central Florida | Applications Programmer III-Servicenow & Itsm Platform | Orlando, FL | 05/30/2025 | $64,518 |
| Caci International | Applications Programmer-.NET | Norfolk, VA | 05/27/2025 | $57,500 |
| Stevens Industries | Business Application Programmer | Charleston, IL | 05/24/2025 | $75,000 |
| Pacific Staffing | Web Applications Programmer | Sacramento, CA | 05/22/2025 | $125,220 |
| University of Vermont | Enterprise Applications Programmer | Burlington, VT | 05/14/2025 | $75,000 |
| Citigroup | Application Development Intermediate Programmer, C11 | Sioux Falls, SD | 05/03/2025 | $71,810 |
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