Developer demographics and statistics in the US
Developer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates developer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our developer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about developers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 780,384 developers currently employed in the United States.
- 25.1% of all developers are women, while 74.9% are men.
- The average developer age is 39 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of developers is White (52.2%), followed by Asian (29.8%), Hispanic or Latino (8.4%) and Unknown (4.9%).
- In 2022, women earned 94% of what men earned.
- 8% of all developers are LGBT.
- Developers are 58% more likely to work at public companies in comparison to private companies.
On this page
Developer demographics by:
Developer gender statistics
25.1% of developers are women and 74.9% of developers are men.
- Male, 74.9%
- Female, 25.1%
Developer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 74.9% |
| Female | 25.1% |
Developer gender pay gap
Women earn 94¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$97,918
Female income
$92,168
Developer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in developer positions over time. Currently, 25.1% of developers are female.
Developer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 71.83% | 28.17% |
| 2011 | 71.56% | 28.44% |
| 2012 | 73.12% | 26.88% |
| 2013 | 73.01% | 26.99% |
| 2014 | 74.27% | 25.73% |
| 2015 | 73.93% | 26.07% |
| 2016 | 75.73% | 24.27% |
| 2017 | 75.11% | 24.89% |
| 2018 | 75.15% | 24.85% |
| 2019 | 74.84% | 25.16% |
| 2020 | 74.77% | 25.23% |
| 2021 | 74.90% | 25.10% |
Developer related jobs gender ratio
We compared developers 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% |
| Developer | 75% | 25% |
| 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%
Developer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among developers is White, which makes up 52.2% of all developers. Comparatively, 29.8% of developers are Asian and 8.4% of developers are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 52.2%
- Asian, 29.8%
- Hispanic or Latino, 8.4%
- Unknown, 4.9%
- Black or African American, 4.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
Developer race
| Developer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 52.2% |
| Asian | 29.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.4% |
| Unknown | 4.9% |
| Black or African American | 4.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.1% |
Developer race and ethnicity over time
See how developer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Developer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 60.30% | 5.70% | 25.56% | 5.92% |
| 2011 | 60.77% | 5.93% | 25.06% | 5.63% |
| 2012 | 59.68% | 5.47% | 26.44% | 6.07% |
| 2013 | 60.07% | 4.99% | 26.26% | 5.88% |
| 2014 | 58.95% | 5.50% | 26.91% | 6.01% |
| 2015 | 58.12% | 5.31% | 27.03% | 6.58% |
| 2016 | 57.62% | 5.30% | 27.74% | 6.58% |
| 2017 | 56.20% | 5.18% | 28.29% | 6.95% |
| 2018 | 56.84% | 5.03% | 27.52% | 7.56% |
| 2019 | 56.01% | 5.12% | 28.71% | 7.18% |
| 2020 | 54.22% | 4.86% | 28.47% | 8.00% |
| 2021 | 52.20% | 4.62% | 29.78% | 8.38% |
Developer wage gap by race
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $98,572 |
| White | $98,286 |
| Black or African American | $94,514 |
| Asian | $102,649 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $95,765 |
Average developer age
See how the average age of developers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Developer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 37 | 46 |
| Unknown | 37 | 34 |
| Asian | 38 | 37 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 36 | 34 |
| White | 39 | 40 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 41 |
Developer age breakdown
The average age of developers is 40+ years years old, representing 45% of the developer population.
Developer age breakdown
| Developer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 45% |
| 30-40 years | 36% |
| 20-30 years | 18% |
Developer educational attainment
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Master's, 19%
- Associate, 5%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
Developers by degree level
| Developer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 71% |
| Master's | 19% |
| Associate | 5% |
| Diploma | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 3% |
Developer jobs you might like
Developer wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $106,109 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $98,319 |
| Doctorate Degree | $113,927 |
Developer employment statistics
Most developers work for a public in the technology industry.
Company size where developers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where developers work.
Developer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 3% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 6% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 8% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 3% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 21% |
| > 10,000 employees | 59% |
Developer jobs by company type
Employees with the developer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most developers prefer to work at public companies over private companies.
Developer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 3% |
| Public | 58% |
| Private | 39% |
| Government | 1% |
Developer jobs by industry
The most common industries for developers are technology, finance and professional.
Developer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Fortune 500 | 25% |
| Technology | 18% |
| Finance | 14% |
| Professional | 6% |
| Retail | 5% |
| Telecommunication | 4% |
| Insurance | 4% |
| Media | 3% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Health Care | 3% |
| Transportation | 2% |
| Automotive | 2% |
| Energy | 2% |
| Education | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
Developer turnover and employment statistics
Developer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for developers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Developer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Developer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 4.56% |
| 2011 | 3.25% |
| 2012 | 2.64% |
| 2013 | 2.67% |
| 2014 | 2.07% |
| 2015 | 2.26% |
| 2016 | 2.33% |
| 2017 | 2.17% |
| 2018 | 1.80% |
| 2019 | 1.88% |
| 2020 | 2.40% |
| 2021 | 2.07% |
Average developer tenure
The average developer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 55,681 developers resumes in Zippia's database.
Developer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 37% |
| 1-2 years | 40% |
| 3-4 years | 8% |
| 5-7 years | 10% |
| 8-10 years | 3% |
| 11+ years | 3% |
Developer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of developers 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Consultant | 7.31% | 13,627 |
| Computer Programmer Analyst | 8.42% | 47,535 |
| Developer | 8.46% | - |
| Information Assurance Officer | 8.59% | 140,531 |
| Special Systems Technician | 9.03% | 80,344 |
| ETL Tester | 10.54% | 35,095 |
| Application Support Analyst | 10.88% | 173,440 |
Similar developer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Consultant | 7.31% | 13,627 |
| Computer Programmer Analyst | 8.42% | 47,535 |
| Information Assurance Officer | 8.59% | 140,531 |
| Special Systems Technician | 9.03% | 80,344 |
| ETL Tester | 10.54% | 35,095 |
| Application Support Analyst | 10.88% | 173,440 |
Foreign languages spoken by developers
The most common foreign language among developers is Spanish at 39.1%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 12.3% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 5.5%.
- Spanish, 39.1%
- French, 12.3%
- Chinese, 5.5%
- Mandarin, 5.5%
- Japanese, 4.8%
- Other, 32.8%
Developer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 39.1% |
| French | 12.3% |
| Chinese | 5.5% |
| Mandarin | 5.5% |
| Japanese | 4.8% |
| Other | 32.8% |
