Programmer demographics and statistics in the US
Programmer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates programmer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our 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 programmers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 266,493 programmers currently employed in the United States.
- 25.6% of all programmers are women, while 74.4% are men.
- The average programmer age is 47 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of programmers is White (64.0%), followed by Asian (17.8%), Hispanic or Latino (8.5%) and Black or African American (4.8%).
- Programmers are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- The finance industry is the highest-paying for programmers.
- Bothell, WA pays an annual average wage of $91,793, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women programmers earned 93% of what men earned.
- 11% of all programmers are LGBT.
- Washington is the best state for programmers to live.
- Programmers are 59% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Programmer demographics by:
Programmer gender statistics
25.6% of programmers are women and 74.4% of programmers are men.
- Male, 74.4%
- Female, 25.6%
Programmer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 74.4% |
| Female | 25.6% |
Programmer gender pay gap
Women earn 93¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$72,611
Female income
$67,885
Programmer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in programmer positions over time. Currently, 25.6% of programmers are female.
Programmer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 69.36% | 30.64% |
| 2011 | 69.31% | 30.69% |
| 2012 | 70.00% | 30.00% |
| 2013 | 72.33% | 27.67% |
| 2014 | 71.77% | 28.23% |
| 2015 | 70.89% | 29.11% |
| 2016 | 71.78% | 28.22% |
| 2017 | 72.06% | 27.94% |
| 2018 | 71.33% | 28.67% |
| 2019 | 71.97% | 28.03% |
| 2020 | 73.64% | 26.36% |
| 2021 | 74.41% | 25.59% |
Programmer related jobs gender ratio
We compared 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% |
| Programmer | 74% | 26% |
| 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%
Programmer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among programmers is White, which makes up 64.0% of all programmers. Comparatively, 17.8% of programmers are Asian and 8.5% of programmers are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 64.0%
- Asian, 17.8%
- Hispanic or Latino, 8.5%
- Black or African American, 4.8%
- Unknown, 4.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
Programmer race
| Programmer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 64.0% |
| Asian | 17.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.5% |
| Black or African American | 4.8% |
| Unknown | 4.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Programmer race and ethnicity over time
See how programmer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Programmer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 69.41% | 4.62% | 17.40% | 6.34% |
| 2011 | 70.00% | 4.79% | 16.45% | 6.67% |
| 2012 | 69.70% | 4.74% | 16.40% | 6.85% |
| 2013 | 68.78% | 5.03% | 16.87% | 6.73% |
| 2014 | 68.59% | 4.48% | 17.95% | 6.48% |
| 2015 | 66.93% | 4.89% | 18.90% | 6.67% |
| 2016 | 65.86% | 5.00% | 19.28% | 7.35% |
| 2017 | 66.16% | 4.25% | 18.81% | 8.35% |
| 2018 | 67.09% | 4.68% | 18.67% | 7.07% |
| 2019 | 67.32% | 4.36% | 17.96% | 7.72% |
| 2020 | 64.04% | 4.97% | 17.78% | 8.20% |
| 2021 | 64.03% | 4.84% | 17.75% | 8.54% |
Programmer wage gap by race
According to our data, asian programmers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american programmers have the lowest average salary at $71,032.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $71,437 |
| White | $72,814 |
| Black or African American | $71,032 |
| Asian | $76,615 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $71,300 |
Average programmer age
See how the average age of programmers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
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 |
Programmer age breakdown
The average age of programmers is 40+ years years old, representing 72% of the programmer population.
Programmer age breakdown
| Programmer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 72% |
| 30-40 years | 21% |
| 20-30 years | 7% |
Programmer educational attainment
The most common degree for programmers is bachelor's degree, with 67% of programmers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 13% and associate degree degree at 13%.
- Bachelor's, 67%
- Associate, 13%
- Master's, 13%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Programmers by degree level
| Programmer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 67% |
| Associate | 13% |
| Master's | 13% |
| Diploma | 3% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Programmer jobs you might like
Programmer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, programmers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $80,214 annually. With a Master's degree, programmers earn a median annual income of $78,334 compared to $75,348 for programmers with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $78,334 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $75,348 |
| Doctorate Degree | $80,214 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $66,851 |
Programmer employment statistics
Most programmers work for a private in the technology industry.
Company size where programmers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where programmers work.
Programmer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 5% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 15% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 16% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 21% |
| > 10,000 employees | 36% |
Programmer jobs by company type
Employees with the programmer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most programmers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Programmer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 7% |
| Public | 32% |
| Private | 59% |
| Government | 2% |
Programmer jobs by industry
The most common industries for programmers are technology, professional and education.
Programmer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Technology | 35% |
| Fortune 500 | 15% |
| Professional | 9% |
| Education | 6% |
| Finance | 5% |
| Insurance | 4% |
| Telecommunication | 3% |
| Health Care | 3% |
| Retail | 3% |
| Pharmaceutical | 2% |
| Manufacturing | 2% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Media | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Government | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
Programmer turnover and employment statistics
Programmer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for programmers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Programmer unemployment rate by year
| Year | 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 programmer tenure
The average programmer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 33,366 programmers resumes in Zippia's database.
Programmer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 31% |
| 1-2 years | 41% |
| 3-4 years | 12% |
| 5-7 years | 9% |
| 8-10 years | 3% |
| 11+ years | 4% |
Programmer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Communications Analyst | 7.31% | 31,641 |
| Junior Software Engineer | 8.46% | 288,448 |
| Information Assurance | 8.59% | 83,994 |
| Network Service Manager | 9.03% | 50,760 |
| Document Controller | 10.54% | 16,705 |
| Programmer | 10.69% | - |
| Staff Professional | 10.88% | 111,826 |
Similar programmer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Communications Analyst | 7.31% | 31,641 |
| Junior Software Engineer | 8.46% | 288,448 |
| Information Assurance | 8.59% | 83,994 |
| Network Service Manager | 9.03% | 50,760 |
| Document Controller | 10.54% | 16,705 |
| Staff Professional | 10.88% | 111,826 |
Foreign languages spoken by programmers
The most common foreign language among programmers is Spanish at 36.4%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 10.7% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 8.8%.
- Spanish, 36.4%
- French, 10.7%
- Chinese, 8.8%
- Mandarin, 6.9%
- Japanese, 6.4%
- Other, 30.8%
Programmer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 36.4% |
| French | 10.7% |
| Chinese | 8.8% |
| Mandarin | 6.9% |
| Japanese | 6.4% |
| Other | 30.8% |
