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Director of software development salary
Average director of software development salary
$158,853
Average Director of Software Development Salary
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Director of Software Development stands at $158,853 per year. Salaries for this role can vary significantly based on factors such as location, years of experience, and the specific industry. For instance, directors in technology firms often earn higher than those in non-profit sectors.
Where Can You Earn More?
States like California and New York consistently offer higher salaries for software development directors due to their thriving tech industries. Additionally, industries such as finance and healthcare tend to provide lucrative compensation packages. Salary estimates reveal that opportunities in major metropolitan areas can exceed the national average, making relocation a viable option for career advancement.
Job Opportunities
Employers seek candidates with extensive experience in software project management, team leadership, and strategic planning. As a director, you will not only lead teams but also influence the technological direction of your organization. With a growing demand for skilled leaders in software development, now is the time to consider advancing your career in this dynamic field.
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Where can a Director Of Software Development earn more?
Director of software development salary estimates from across the web
Average director of software development salary by state
The highest-paying states for directors of software development are California, Alaska, and Washington. The lowest average director of software development salary states are Indiana, Alabama, and Kentucky.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for directors of software development
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $178,417 | $85.78 |
| 2 | Alaska | $181,036 | $87.04 |
| 3 | California | $191,937 | $92.28 |
| 4 | Arizona | $159,730 | $76.79 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $173,578 | $83.45 |
| 6 | Nevada | $146,557 | $70.46 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $139,135 | $66.89 |
| 8 | Wisconsin | $137,800 | $66.25 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $132,863 | $63.88 |
| 10 | Oregon | $158,775 | $76.33 |
| 11 | Utah | $156,204 | $75.10 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $130,028 | $62.51 |
| 13 | Mississippi | $131,335 | $63.14 |
| 14 | Louisiana | $130,835 | $62.90 |
| 15 | Idaho | $148,597 | $71.44 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $134,383 | $64.61 |
| 17 | Montana | $134,427 | $64.63 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $132,656 | $63.78 |
| 19 | Ohio | $128,592 | $61.82 |
| 20 | Massachusetts | $140,866 | $67.72 |
| 21 | South Carolina | $126,925 | $61.02 |
| 22 | Arkansas | $128,850 | $61.95 |
| 23 | New York | $143,198 | $68.85 |
| 24 | Vermont | $133,910 | $64.38 |
| 25 | Iowa | $130,265 | $62.63 |
| 26 | Maine | $123,891 | $59.56 |
| 27 | New Jersey | $138,306 | $66.49 |
| 28 | South Dakota | $118,706 | $57.07 |
| 29 | Colorado | $135,598 | $65.19 |
| 30 | Rhode Island | $129,484 | $62.25 |
| 31 | Michigan | $125,631 | $60.40 |
| 32 | Texas | $130,081 | $62.54 |
| 33 | Connecticut | $132,131 | $63.52 |
| 34 | Virginia | $128,897 | $61.97 |
| 35 | Kansas | $122,022 | $58.66 |
| 36 | Alabama | $116,289 | $55.91 |
| 37 | Georgia | $122,071 | $58.69 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $119,519 | $57.46 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $115,024 | $55.30 |
| 40 | District of Columbia | $124,322 | $59.77 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $115,229 | $55.40 |
| 42 | Minnesota | $121,002 | $58.17 |
| 43 | Illinois | $127,486 | $61.29 |
| 44 | Missouri | $117,041 | $56.27 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $113,013 | $54.33 |
| 46 | Delaware | $123,960 | $59.60 |
| 47 | Indiana | $116,879 | $56.19 |
| 48 | Florida | $120,357 | $57.86 |
| 49 | Maryland | $118,133 | $56.79 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $118,813 | $57.12 |
| 51 | Nebraska | $114,815 | $55.20 |
Highest paying cities for directors of software development
The highest-paying cities for directors of software development are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and Phoenix, AZ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $212,694 | $102.26 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $187,116 | $89.96 |
| 3 | Phoenix, AZ | $162,836 | $78.29 |
| 4 | Salt Lake City, UT | $157,043 | $75.50 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $143,308 | $68.90 |
| 6 | Boston, MA | $140,974 | $67.78 |
| 7 | Englewood, NJ | $138,861 | $66.76 |
| 8 | Englewood, CO | $135,839 | $65.31 |
| 9 | Philadelphia, PA | $134,826 | $64.82 |
| 10 | Hartford, CT | $132,544 | $63.72 |
| 11 | Austin, TX | $131,253 | $63.10 |
| 12 | Arlington, VA | $130,166 | $62.58 |
| 13 | Columbus, OH | $127,809 | $61.45 |
| 14 | Chicago, IL | $127,791 | $61.44 |
| 15 | Washington, DC | $124,400 | $59.81 |
| 16 | Newark, DE | $124,177 | $59.70 |
| 17 | Atlanta, GA | $121,995 | $58.65 |
| 18 | Minneapolis, MN | $120,984 | $58.17 |
| 19 | Raleigh, NC | $120,559 | $57.96 |
| 20 | Bethesda, MD | $117,885 | $56.68 |
Director of software development salary details
A director of software development's salary ranges from $110,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $228,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a director of software development's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $228,000 | $19,000 | $110 |
| 75th Percentile | $192,000 | $16,000 | $92 |
| Average | $158,853 | $13,238 | $76 |
| 25th Percentile | $131,000 | $10,917 | $63 |
| 10th Percentile | $110,000 | $9,167 | $53 |
Highest paying director of software development jobs
The highest paying types of directors of software development are chief technology officer, vice president product development, and vice president, technology.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systems Manager | $107,156 | $8,930 | $51.52 | 145,551 |
| Technical Manager | $116,619 | $9,718 | $56.07 | 116,732 |
| Vice President, Technology | $152,462 | $12,705 | $73.30 | 96,519 |
| Information Technology Manager | $119,589 | $9,966 | $57.49 | 108,179 |
| Information Technology Director | $138,906 | $11,576 | $66.78 | 87,765 |
| Chief Technology Officer | $172,989 | $14,416 | $83.17 | 124,289 |
Top companies hiring directors of software development now:
Which companies pay directors of software development the most?
Director of software development salaries at eBay and Apple are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average director of software development salary at companies like Google and Twitter are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | eBay | $246,167 | $118.35 |
| 2 | Apple | $242,840 | $116.75 |
| 3 | $239,746 | $115.26 | |
| 4 | $239,282 | $115.04 | |
| 5 | Waymo | $236,781 | $113.84 |
| 6 | NVIDIA | $234,776 | $112.87 |
| 7 | ICE Mortgage Technology | $233,155 | $112.09 |
| 8 | Walmart | $232,995 | $112.02 |
| 9 | Macy's | $227,053 | $109.16 |
| 10 | PayPal | $226,086 | $108.70 |
| 11 | $224,917 | $108.13 | |
| 12 | Juniper Networks | $223,940 | $107.66 |
| 13 | Sony Interactive Entertainment America | $223,801 | $107.60 |
| 14 | Panasonic Avionics | $223,414 | $107.41 |
| 15 | Gap Inc. | $222,298 | $106.87 |
| 16 | Fortinet | $220,794 | $106.15 |
| 17 | Chewy | $220,112 | $105.82 |
| 18 | Adobe | $218,698 | $105.14 |
| 19 | Coursera | $218,431 | $105.01 |
| 20 | Databricks | $218,346 | $104.97 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Director Of Software Development salary by industry
The average director of software development salary varies across industries:
- The average director of software development salary in the technology industry is $163,503, the highest of any industry.
- The average director of software development salary in the finance industry is $162,104.
- Directors of software development in the insurance industry earn an average salary of $122,321, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for directors of software development
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $163,503 | $78.61 |
| 2 | Start-up | $162,104 | $77.93 |
| 3 | Hospitality | $155,990 | $75.00 |
| 4 | Health Care | $147,756 | $71.04 |
| 5 | Finance | $145,986 | $70.19 |
| 6 | Insurance | $122,321 | $58.81 |
High paying director of software development jobs
Director of software development salary trends
The average director of software development salary has risen by $34,829 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average director of software development earned $124,024 annually, but today, they earn $158,853 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for directors of software development over the last decade.
Compare director of software development salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average director of software development salary over time
Compare director of software development salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Director of software development salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $159,000 | $76.37 | +3.2% |
| 2024 | $154,000 | $73.95 | +2.6% |
| 2023 | $150,000 | $72.02 | +2.3% |
| 2022 | $146,000 | $70.34 | +2.5% |
| 2021 | $143,000 | $68.62 | +3.1% |
Recently added director of software development salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broadridge | Director, Software Engineer (Hybrid) | Newark, NJ | 06/30/2025 | $170,000 |
| Capital One | Director, Software Engineering-Card Management & Security | Chicago, IL | 06/30/2025 | $239,900 |
| Northwestern Mutual | Senior Director, Software Engineering-Private Investment | Milwaukee, WI | 06/30/2025 | $167,300 |
| Vizient | DIR, Software Engineering, Ad | Irving, TX | 06/30/2025 | $135,200 |
| Chewy, Inc. | Associate Director, Software Engineering | Minneapolis, MN | 06/29/2025 | $176,500 |
| Chewy, Inc. | Associate Director, Software Engineering | Bellevue, WA | 06/29/2025 | $185,000 |
| Onetrust | Director, Software Engineering (AI Governance) | Atlanta, GA | 06/29/2025 | $194,100 |
| Pacb.com | Senior Director, Software Engineering | Menlo Park, CA | 06/29/2025 | $259,100 |
| Sphere Entertainment Co | Director Software Engineering | Burbank, CA | 06/29/2025 | $174,000 |
| Morgan Stanley | Lead Software Engineer-Director-P4 | Fremont, CA | 06/28/2025 | $120,000 |
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