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The average salary for a Program Developer in the United States is currently around $74,749 annually. This figure can vary based on several factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and the specific sector of employment. For instance, program developers in technology hubs such as Silicon Valley often earn significantly more due to the high demand for their skills.
Salaries for program developers can differ notably by state. For example, states like California and New York typically offer the highest salaries, often exceeding $90,000 per year. Other states, while perhaps offering lower salaries, may present lower living costs, allowing for a balanced lifestyle.
The job market for program developers is projected to grow over the next decade, driven by the increasing reliance on technology across various industries. This growth means more job opportunities and potentially higher salaries as companies compete for top talent. Job seekers should also consider roles in specialized areas such as software development, mobile app creation, or web development.
Understanding the salary landscape can help program developers make informed career choices. It’s essential to consider both salary and job satisfaction when exploring opportunities in this dynamic field.
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The highest-paying states for program developers are Oregon, Washington, and California. The lowest average program developer salary states are Kansas, Georgia, and South Carolina.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $94,166 | $45.27 |
| 2 | Washington | $107,492 | $51.68 |
| 3 | Colorado | $78,980 | $37.97 |
| 4 | Oregon | $108,890 | $52.35 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $89,995 | $43.27 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $75,411 | $36.26 |
| 7 | Texas | $74,482 | $35.81 |
| 8 | Hawaii | $90,761 | $43.64 |
| 9 | Montana | $72,757 | $34.98 |
| 10 | Idaho | $88,425 | $42.51 |
| 11 | California | $105,750 | $50.84 |
| 12 | Arizona | $80,568 | $38.73 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $74,700 | $35.91 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $69,454 | $33.39 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $79,397 | $38.17 |
| 16 | New York | $74,003 | $35.58 |
| 17 | Utah | $74,293 | $35.72 |
| 18 | Alaska | $74,901 | $36.01 |
| 19 | Ohio | $69,925 | $33.62 |
| 20 | Delaware | $73,547 | $35.36 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $69,308 | $33.32 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $66,308 | $31.88 |
| 23 | South Dakota | $66,495 | $31.97 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $66,954 | $32.19 |
| 25 | Indiana | $67,374 | $32.39 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $67,151 | $32.28 |
| 27 | New Jersey | $76,579 | $36.82 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $79,217 | $38.09 |
| 29 | Maine | $67,222 | $32.32 |
| 30 | Iowa | $67,087 | $32.25 |
| 31 | Maryland | $77,365 | $37.19 |
| 32 | Illinois | $72,689 | $34.95 |
| 33 | Vermont | $66,069 | $31.76 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $64,059 | $30.80 |
| 35 | Michigan | $65,739 | $31.61 |
| 36 | Alabama | $64,587 | $31.05 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $67,406 | $32.41 |
| 38 | Massachusetts | $73,022 | $35.11 |
| 39 | Virginia | $71,690 | $34.47 |
| 40 | West Virginia | $61,437 | $29.54 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $61,694 | $29.66 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $65,040 | $31.27 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $61,616 | $29.62 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $63,240 | $30.40 |
| 45 | Georgia | $57,290 | $27.54 |
| 46 | Kansas | $58,120 | $27.94 |
| 47 | North Carolina | $55,825 | $26.84 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $58,778 | $28.26 |
| 49 | Missouri | $56,099 | $26.97 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $56,616 | $27.22 |
| 51 | Florida | $56,375 | $27.10 |
The highest-paying cities for program developers are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and Phoenix, AZ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $118,847 | $57.14 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $108,914 | $52.36 |
| 3 | Phoenix, AZ | $80,918 | $38.90 |
| 4 | Boulder, CO | $79,187 | $38.07 |
| 5 | Minneapolis, MN | $74,788 | $35.96 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $74,032 | $35.59 |
| 7 | Fort Worth, TX | $73,326 | $35.25 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $73,053 | $35.12 |
| 9 | Boston, MA | $72,799 | $35.00 |
| 10 | Columbus, OH | $69,634 | $33.48 |
| 11 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $68,167 | $32.77 |
| 12 | Racine, WI | $67,247 | $32.33 |
| 13 | East Lansing, MI | $65,153 | $31.32 |
| 14 | Grand Island, NE | $62,442 | $30.02 |
| 15 | Lawrenceville, GA | $57,467 | $27.63 |
| 16 | Saint Louis, MO | $55,765 | $26.81 |
| 17 | Charlotte, NC | $54,650 | $26.27 |
A program developer's salary ranges from $47,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $118,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $118,000 | $9,833 | $57 |
| 75th Percentile | $95,000 | $7,917 | $46 |
| Average | $74,749 | $6,229 | $36 |
| 25th Percentile | $58,000 | $4,833 | $28 |
| 10th Percentile | $47,000 | $3,917 | $23 |
The highest paying types of program developers are lead programmer, senior programmer, and sap/abap developer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Information Technology Programmer | $89,063 | $7,422 | $42.82 | 283,349 |
| Applications Programmer | $85,133 | $7,094 | $40.93 | 215,240 |
| Computer Programmer | $70,979 | $5,915 | $34.12 | 205,491 |
| Software Programmer | $71,612 | $5,968 | $34.43 | 253,235 |
| Contract Programmer | $80,027 | $6,669 | $38.47 | 199,998 |
| Programming Internship | $31,896 | $2,658 | $15.33 | 49,839 |
Top companies hiring program developers now:
Program developer salaries at Western Digital and Amazon are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average program developer salary at companies like Expedia Group and Ciena are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Digital | $137,781 | $66.24 |
| 2 | Amazon | $128,281 | $61.67 |
| 3 | Expedia Group | $127,939 | $61.51 |
| 4 | Ciena | $115,873 | $55.71 |
| 5 | Axway | $113,213 | $54.43 |
| 6 | The Vanguard Group | $110,296 | $53.03 |
| 7 | FactSet | $99,663 | $47.91 |
| 8 | Accenture | $98,623 | $47.41 |
| 9 | Great American Insurance | $98,454 | $47.33 |
| 10 | Columbia Sportswear | $98,360 | $47.29 |
| 11 | Caterpillar | $97,412 | $46.83 |
| 12 | NetJets | $95,653 | $45.99 |
| 13 | Capgemini | $94,660 | $45.51 |
| 14 | Andersen | $93,863 | $45.13 |
| 15 | Prudential Bank | $90,080 | $43.31 |
| 16 | BankFinancial | $89,786 | $43.17 |
| 17 | Anheuser-Busch | $86,530 | $41.60 |
| 18 | ITW | $86,370 | $41.52 |
| 19 | CMC Motocross | $85,331 | $41.02 |
| 20 | Schneider Electric Industrial Services | $85,106 | $40.92 |
The average program developer salary has risen by $13,865 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average program developer earned $60,884 annually, but today, they earn $74,749 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for program developers over the last decade.
Compare program developer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare program developer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $74,700 | $35.94 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $72,300 | $34.75 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $70,600 | $33.97 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $68,900 | $33.14 | +2.9% |
| 2021 | $66,900 | $32.18 | +0.4% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global Channel Management, Inc. | Remote Cobol Programming Developer | Sandy Springs, GA | 06/29/2025 | $110,611 |
| Northeast Iowa Community College | Program Developer-Trades & Industry | Calmar, IA | 06/27/2025 | $47,300 |
| Insight Global | SAP Advanced Business Application Programming Developer | Saint Louis, MO | 06/26/2025 | $100,000 |
| Kelly Science, Engineering, Technology & Telecom | SAP Advanced Business Application Programming Developer | Johnston, IA | 06/24/2025 | $121,046 |
| Oakland Museum of Ca | Learning, Experience & Programming Developer | Oakland, CA | 06/16/2025 | $78,993 |
| Precision Castparts Corporation | Accounting and Finance Development Program-Various Locations-January 2026 | Happy Valley, OR | 06/03/2025 | $62,400 |
| Precision Castparts Corporation | Accounting and Finance Development Program-Various Locations-January 2026 | Happy Valley, OR | 05/26/2025 | $62,400 |
| Noblis | Program Management Support-Transportation Security R&D | Washington, DC | 05/12/2025 | $77,000 |
| Maryland Science Center | Program Presenter and Developer | Baltimore, MD | 05/09/2025 | $45,914 |
| Chevron | Finance & Commercial MBA Development Program (Fcmp) | Houston, TX | 05/04/2025 | $168,000 |
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