Contract programmer demographics and statistics in the US
Contract programmer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates contract programmer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our contract 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 contract programmers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 97,096 contract programmers currently employed in the United States.
- 15.1% of all contract programmers are women, while 84.9% are men.
- The average contract programmer age is 47 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of contract programmers is White (66.0%), followed by Asian (14.9%), Hispanic or Latino (9.0%) and Black or African American (5.1%).
- In 2022, women earned 94% of what men earned.
- 11% of all contract programmers are LGBT.
- Contract programmers are 56% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Contract programmer demographics by:
Contract programmer gender statistics
15.1% of contract programmers are women and 84.9% of contract programmers are men.
- Male, 84.9%
- Female, 15.1%
Contract programmer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 84.9% |
| Female | 15.1% |
Contract programmer gender pay gap
Women earn 94¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$79,632
Female income
$74,913
Contract programmer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in contract programmer positions over time. Currently, 15.1% of contract programmers are female.
Contract programmer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 81.35% | 18.65% |
| 2011 | 81.31% | 18.69% |
| 2012 | 81.80% | 18.20% |
| 2013 | 83.43% | 16.57% |
| 2014 | 83.05% | 16.95% |
| 2015 | 82.42% | 17.58% |
| 2016 | 83.05% | 16.95% |
| 2017 | 83.25% | 16.75% |
| 2018 | 82.74% | 17.26% |
| 2019 | 83.18% | 16.82% |
| 2020 | 84.33% | 15.67% |
| 2021 | 84.85% | 15.15% |
Contract programmer related jobs gender ratio
We compared contract 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% |
| Contract Programmer | 85% | 15% |
| 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%
Contract programmer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among contract programmers is White, which makes up 66.0% of all contract programmers. Comparatively, 14.9% of contract programmers are Asian and 9.0% of contract programmers are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 66.0%
- Asian, 14.9%
- Hispanic or Latino, 9.0%
- Black or African American, 5.1%
- Unknown, 4.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
Contract programmer race
| Contract programmer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 66.0% |
| Asian | 14.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 9.0% |
| Black or African American | 5.1% |
| Unknown | 4.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Contract programmer race and ethnicity over time
See how contract programmer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Contract programmer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 71.38% | 4.90% | 14.55% | 6.84% |
| 2011 | 71.96% | 5.08% | 13.61% | 7.18% |
| 2012 | 71.67% | 5.02% | 13.56% | 7.35% |
| 2013 | 70.75% | 5.31% | 14.02% | 7.23% |
| 2014 | 70.55% | 4.76% | 15.10% | 6.99% |
| 2015 | 68.90% | 5.17% | 16.06% | 7.18% |
| 2016 | 67.83% | 5.28% | 16.43% | 7.85% |
| 2017 | 68.13% | 4.53% | 15.97% | 8.86% |
| 2018 | 69.06% | 4.96% | 15.82% | 7.58% |
| 2019 | 69.28% | 4.64% | 15.12% | 8.23% |
| 2020 | 66.00% | 5.25% | 14.93% | 8.70% |
| 2021 | 66.00% | 5.12% | 14.91% | 9.05% |
Contract programmer wage gap by race
According to our data, asian contract programmers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american contract programmers have the lowest average salary at $78,059.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $78,463 |
| White | $79,835 |
| Black or African American | $78,059 |
| Asian | $83,609 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $78,327 |
Average contract programmer age
See how the average age of contract programmers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Contract 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 |
Contract programmer age breakdown
The average age of contract programmers is 40+ years years old, representing 72% of the contract programmer population.
Contract programmer age breakdown
| Contract Programmer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 72% |
| 30-40 years | 21% |
| 20-30 years | 7% |
Contract programmer educational attainment
The most common degree for contract programmers is bachelor's degree, with 68% of contract programmers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 18% and associate degree degree at 9%.
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Associate, 18%
- Master's, 9%
- Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Contract programmers by degree level
| Contract programmer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 68% |
| Associate | 18% |
| Master's | 9% |
| Diploma | 1% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Contract programmer jobs you might like
Contract programmer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, contract programmers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $87,168 annually. With a Master's degree, contract programmers earn a median annual income of $85,310 compared to $82,353 for contract programmers with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $85,310 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $82,353 |
| Doctorate Degree | $87,168 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $73,876 |
Contract programmer employment statistics
Most contract programmers work for a private in the technology industry.
Company size where contract programmers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where contract programmers work.
Contract programmer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 5% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 13% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 14% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 4% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 25% |
| > 10,000 employees | 39% |
Contract programmer jobs by company type
Employees with the contract programmer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most contract programmers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Contract programmer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 1% |
| Public | 39% |
| Private | 56% |
| Government | 4% |
Contract programmer jobs by industry
The most common industries for contract programmers are technology, finance and professional.
Contract programmer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Fortune 500 | 19% |
| Technology | 16% |
| Finance | 10% |
| Professional | 8% |
| Manufacturing | 7% |
| Telecommunication | 5% |
| Health Care | 5% |
| Retail | 5% |
| Media | 4% |
| Transportation | 3% |
| Government | 3% |
| Insurance | 3% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Energy | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Education | 1% |
Contract programmer turnover and employment statistics
Contract programmer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for contract programmers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Contract programmer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Contract 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 contract programmer tenure
The average contract programmer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 2,485 contract programmers resumes in Zippia's database.
Contract programmer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 45% |
| 1-2 years | 34% |
| 3-4 years | 9% |
| 5-7 years | 6% |
| 8-10 years | 2% |
| 11+ years | 4% |
Contract programmer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of contract 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Network Developer | 7.31% | 168,647 |
| Embedded Engineer | 8.46% | 24,338 |
| Information Systems Security Manager | 8.59% | 161,799 |
| Linux Engineer | 9.03% | 62,808 |
| Business Solutions Architect | 10.54% | 169,174 |
| Contract Programmer | 10.69% | - |
| Can Labeler | 10.88% | 1,803 |
Similar contract programmer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Network Developer | 7.31% | 168,647 |
| Embedded Engineer | 8.46% | 24,338 |
| Information Systems Security Manager | 8.59% | 161,799 |
| Linux Engineer | 9.03% | 62,808 |
| Business Solutions Architect | 10.54% | 169,174 |
| Can Labeler | 10.88% | 1,803 |
Foreign languages spoken by contract programmers
The most common foreign language among contract programmers is Spanish at 33.3%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Japanese at 16.7% and Carrier is the third-most popular at 16.7%.
- Spanish, 33.3%
- Japanese, 16.7%
- Carrier, 16.7%
- Chinese, 5.6%
- Vietnamese, 5.6%
- Other, 22.1%
Contract programmer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 33.3% |
| Japanese | 16.7% |
| Carrier | 16.7% |
| Chinese | 5.6% |
| Vietnamese | 5.6% |
| Other | 22.1% |
