Computer programmer demographics and statistics in the US
Computer programmer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates computer programmer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our computer programmer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about computer programmers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 24,731 computer programmers currently employed in the United States.
- 29.8% of all computer programmers are women, while 70.2% are men.
- The average computer programmer age is 47 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of computer programmers is White (66.2%), followed by Asian (15.0%), Hispanic or Latino (8.9%) and Black or African American (5.1%).
- Computer programmers are most in-demand in Anniston, AL.
- Richmond, CA pays an annual average wage of $84,011, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women computer programmers earned 95% of what men earned.
- Washington is the best state for computer programmers to live.
- Computer programmers are 85% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Computer programmer demographics by:
Computer programmer gender statistics
29.8% of computer programmers are women and 70.2% of computer programmers are men.
- Male, 70.2%
- Female, 29.8%
Computer programmer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 70.2% |
| Female | 29.8% |
Computer programmer gender pay gap
Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$70,664
Female income
$66,882
Computer programmer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in computer programmer positions over time. Currently, 29.8% of computer programmers are female.
Computer programmer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 64.68% | 35.32% |
| 2011 | 64.63% | 35.37% |
| 2012 | 65.37% | 34.63% |
| 2013 | 67.90% | 32.10% |
| 2014 | 67.29% | 32.71% |
| 2015 | 66.33% | 33.67% |
| 2016 | 67.30% | 32.70% |
| 2017 | 67.61% | 32.39% |
| 2018 | 66.81% | 33.19% |
| 2019 | 67.50% | 32.50% |
| 2020 | 69.33% | 30.67% |
| 2021 | 70.18% | 29.82% |
Computer programmer related jobs gender ratio
We compared computer programmers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, dell certified systems expert and software applications architect have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Informatics Nurse Specialist | 13% | 87% |
| Clinical Support Specialist | 22% | 78% |
| Clinic Administrator | 23% | 77% |
| Computer Programmer | 70% | 30% |
| Senior Data Center Engineer | 98% | 2% |
| Software Applications Architect | 98% | 2% |
| Dell Certified Systems Expert | 99% | 1% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Computer programmer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among computer programmers is White, which makes up 66.2% of all computer programmers. Comparatively, 15.0% of computer programmers are Asian and 8.9% of computer programmers are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 66.2%
- Asian, 15.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 8.9%
- Black or African American, 5.1%
- Unknown, 4.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
Computer programmer race
| Computer programmer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 66.2% |
| Asian | 15.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.9% |
| Black or African American | 5.1% |
| Unknown | 4.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.1% |
Computer programmer race and ethnicity over time
See how computer programmer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Computer programmer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 71.53% | 4.83% | 14.61% | 6.73% |
| 2011 | 72.11% | 5.01% | 13.66% | 7.06% |
| 2012 | 71.82% | 4.95% | 13.61% | 7.24% |
| 2013 | 70.90% | 5.24% | 14.08% | 7.11% |
| 2014 | 70.70% | 4.69% | 15.16% | 6.87% |
| 2015 | 69.05% | 5.11% | 16.12% | 7.06% |
| 2016 | 67.98% | 5.21% | 16.49% | 7.73% |
| 2017 | 68.28% | 4.46% | 16.03% | 8.74% |
| 2018 | 69.21% | 4.89% | 15.88% | 7.46% |
| 2019 | 69.43% | 4.58% | 15.17% | 8.11% |
| 2020 | 66.15% | 5.19% | 14.99% | 8.59% |
| 2021 | 66.15% | 5.06% | 14.97% | 8.93% |
Computer programmer wage gap by race
According to our data, asian computer programmers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american computer programmers have the lowest average salary at $69,406.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $69,729 |
| White | $70,826 |
| Black or African American | $69,406 |
| Asian | $73,833 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $69,620 |
Average computer programmer age
See how the average age of computer programmers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Computer programmer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 45.5 | 52 |
| White | 49 | 51 |
| Black or African American | 43 | 42 |
| Asian | 45.5 | 47 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 42 | 41 |
Computer programmer age breakdown
The average age of computer programmers is 40+ years years old, representing 72% of the computer programmer population.
Computer programmer age breakdown
| Computer Programmer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 72% |
| 30-40 years | 21% |
| 20-30 years | 7% |
Computer programmer educational attainment
The most common degree for computer programmers is bachelor's degree, with 60% of computer programmers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 22% and associate degree degree at 10%.
- Bachelor's, 60%
- Associate, 22%
- Master's, 10%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 5%
Computer programmers by degree level
| Computer programmer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 60% |
| Associate | 22% |
| Master's | 10% |
| Diploma | 3% |
| Other Degrees | 5% |
Computer programmer jobs you might like
Computer programmer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, computer programmers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $76,657 annually. With a Master's degree, computer programmers earn a median annual income of $75,184 compared to $72,834 for computer programmers with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $75,184 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $72,834 |
| Doctorate Degree | $76,657 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $66,048 |
Computer programmer employment statistics
Most computer programmers work for a private in the technology industry.
Company size where computer programmers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where computer programmers work.
Computer programmer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 8% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 26% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 37% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 12% |
| > 10,000 employees | 10% |
Computer programmer jobs by company type
Employees with the computer programmer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most computer programmers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Computer programmer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 2% |
| Public | 12% |
| Private | 85% |
| Government | 1% |
Computer programmer jobs by industry
The most common industries for computer programmers are technology, professional and manufacturing.
Computer programmer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Technology | 60% |
| Professional | 14% |
| Start-up | 3% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Media | 2% |
| Fortune 500 | 2% |
| Internet | 2% |
| Telecommunication | 2% |
| Education | 1% |
| Government | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Health Care | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Computer programmer turnover and employment statistics
Computer programmer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for computer programmers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Computer programmer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Computer programmer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 5.66% |
| 2011 | 4.88% |
| 2012 | 4.01% |
| 2013 | 3.44% |
| 2014 | 3.52% |
| 2015 | 2.74% |
| 2016 | 2.92% |
| 2017 | 3.10% |
| 2018 | 2.78% |
| 2019 | 3.35% |
| 2020 | 3.32% |
| 2021 | 3.49% |
Average computer programmer tenure
The average computer programmer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 6,449 computer programmers resumes in Zippia's database.
Computer programmer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 19% |
| 1-2 years | 38% |
| 3-4 years | 17% |
| 5-7 years | 12% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 9% |
Computer programmer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of computer programmers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Voice Engineer | 7.31% | 8,657 |
| Software Project Leader | 8.46% | 247,780 |
| Information Security Director | 8.59% | 109,450 |
| Systems Engineer Staff | 9.03% | 304,494 |
| Electronic Transaction Implementer | 10.54% | 3,233 |
| Computer Programmer | 10.69% | - |
| Computer Laboratory Assistant | 10.88% | 59,223 |
Similar computer programmer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Voice Engineer | 7.31% | 8,657 |
| Software Project Leader | 8.46% | 247,780 |
| Information Security Director | 8.59% | 109,450 |
| Systems Engineer Staff | 9.03% | 304,494 |
| Electronic Transaction Implementer | 10.54% | 3,233 |
| Computer Laboratory Assistant | 10.88% | 59,223 |
Foreign languages spoken by computer programmers
The most common foreign language among computer programmers is Spanish at 48.5%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Chinese at 5.9% and French is the third-most popular at 5.9%.
- Spanish, 48.5%
- Chinese, 5.9%
- French, 5.9%
- Mandarin, 5.3%
- Arabic, 4.7%
- Other, 29.7%
Computer programmer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 48.5% |
| Chinese | 5.9% |
| French | 5.9% |
| Mandarin | 5.3% |
| Arabic | 4.7% |
| Other | 29.7% |
