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The average salary for an Associate Programmer in the United States is $71,595 per year. This figure reflects the typical earnings for entry-level professionals in the programming field, providing a solid benchmark for new graduates and career changers. Salary variations often depend on state, with areas like California and New York typically offering higher compensation due to the cost of living and demand for skilled tech workers.
Key factors influencing an Associate Programmer's salary include:
By understanding these elements, you can better position yourself for salary negotiations and career advancement. Consider seeking roles in industries with higher salary potential and locations that offer competitive pay.
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The average associate programmer salary in Nevada, Washington, and California are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average associate programmer salary states are Idaho, West Virginia, and Hawaii.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $82,873 | $39.84 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $78,046 | $37.52 |
| 3 | Nevada | $91,101 | $43.80 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $82,377 | $39.60 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $81,503 | $39.18 |
| 6 | Oregon | $77,037 | $37.04 |
| 7 | California | $82,805 | $39.81 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $75,076 | $36.09 |
| 9 | North Carolina | $72,090 | $34.66 |
| 10 | Vermont | $73,239 | $35.21 |
| 11 | New York | $80,128 | $38.52 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $73,180 | $35.18 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $78,640 | $37.81 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $75,155 | $36.13 |
| 15 | Ohio | $71,854 | $34.55 |
| 16 | Maryland | $73,955 | $35.56 |
| 17 | Utah | $71,005 | $34.14 |
| 18 | Delaware | $71,799 | $34.52 |
| 19 | Virginia | $72,398 | $34.81 |
| 20 | Alabama | $71,396 | $34.33 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $69,767 | $33.54 |
| 22 | Illinois | $72,096 | $34.66 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $70,993 | $34.13 |
| 24 | Maine | $71,720 | $34.48 |
| 25 | Mississippi | $71,385 | $34.32 |
| 26 | South Carolina | $71,841 | $34.54 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $69,911 | $33.61 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $69,666 | $33.49 |
| 29 | Indiana | $67,628 | $32.51 |
| 30 | Iowa | $68,764 | $33.06 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $68,004 | $32.69 |
| 32 | Colorado | $67,868 | $32.63 |
| 33 | Michigan | $68,588 | $32.98 |
| 34 | Alaska | $69,284 | $33.31 |
| 35 | Kansas | $66,552 | $32.00 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $67,382 | $32.40 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $68,357 | $32.86 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $66,878 | $32.15 |
| 39 | Idaho | $63,456 | $30.51 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $67,079 | $32.25 |
| 41 | Texas | $65,070 | $31.28 |
| 42 | Arizona | $65,120 | $31.31 |
| 43 | Georgia | $64,967 | $31.23 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $60,354 | $29.02 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $63,509 | $30.53 |
| 46 | Missouri | $65,640 | $31.56 |
| 47 | Montana | $57,881 | $27.83 |
| 48 | Florida | $63,768 | $30.66 |
| 49 | New Mexico | $61,662 | $29.65 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $63,408 | $30.48 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $61,958 | $29.79 |
The highest-paying cities for associate programmers are Carson City, NV, San Jose, CA, and Ridgefield, CT.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carson City, NV | $92,498 | $44.47 |
| 2 | San Jose, CA | $87,280 | $41.96 |
| 3 | Ridgefield, CT | $82,334 | $39.58 |
| 4 | Jersey City, NJ | $81,562 | $39.21 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $80,323 | $38.62 |
| 6 | Boston, MA | $75,164 | $36.14 |
| 7 | Annapolis, MD | $74,084 | $35.62 |
| 8 | Raleigh, NC | $72,895 | $35.05 |
| 9 | Concord, NH | $72,883 | $35.04 |
| 10 | Virginia Beach, VA | $72,648 | $34.93 |
| 11 | Northbrook, IL | $72,279 | $34.75 |
| 12 | Columbia, SC | $72,071 | $34.65 |
| 13 | Columbus, OH | $71,941 | $34.59 |
| 14 | Dover, DE | $71,915 | $34.57 |
| 15 | Jackson, MS | $71,522 | $34.39 |
| 16 | Philadelphia, PA | $71,371 | $34.31 |
| 17 | Salt Lake City, UT | $70,521 | $33.90 |
| 18 | Frankfort, KY | $69,928 | $33.62 |
| 19 | Juneau, AK | $69,204 | $33.27 |
| 20 | Bismarck, ND | $69,159 | $33.25 |
An associate programmer's salary ranges from $56,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $91,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $91,000 | $7,583 | $44 |
| 75th Percentile | $81,000 | $6,750 | $39 |
| Average | $71,595 | $5,966 | $34 |
| 25th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
| 10th Percentile | $56,000 | $4,667 | $27 |
The highest paying types of associate programmers are lead programmer, senior programmer, and programmer/analyst lead.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Developer | $89,766 | $7,480 | $43.16 | 303,850 |
| Development Team Member | $27,071 | $2,256 | $13.02 | 389,951 |
| Software Engineer | $100,260 | $8,355 | $48.20 | 339,938 |
| Systems Developer | $97,230 | $8,102 | $46.75 | 322,419 |
| Applications Developer | $89,205 | $7,434 | $42.89 | 279,877 |
| Programmer Analyst | $71,563 | $5,964 | $34.41 | 248,781 |
Top companies hiring associate programmers now:
Associate programmer salaries at Knight Capital Funding and Rockstar Games are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average associate programmer salary at companies like Merck and Boehringer Ingelheim are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Knight Capital Funding | $104,543 | $50.26 |
| 2 | Rockstar Games | $95,171 | $45.76 |
| 3 | Merck | $91,985 | $44.22 |
| 4 | Boehringer Ingelheim | $91,568 | $44.02 |
| 5 | AstraZeneca | $90,467 | $43.49 |
| 6 | Diners Club International | $84,488 | $40.62 |
| 7 | Kimberly-Clark | $82,561 | $39.69 |
| 8 | American Speciality Health | $79,267 | $38.11 |
| 9 | High Rise Fire and Security | $78,832 | $37.90 |
| 10 | World Economic Forum | $77,089 | $37.06 |
| 11 | Triniti | $76,331 | $36.70 |
| 12 | W. L. Gore & Associates | $76,292 | $36.68 |
| 13 | Premier Research | $74,703 | $35.91 |
| 14 | Kalido Incorporated | $74,472 | $35.80 |
| 15 | Innovative System Services LLC | $74,466 | $35.80 |
| 16 | *n/a* | $74,403 | $35.77 |
| 17 | DFS Corporate Services LLC | $73,404 | $35.29 |
| 18 | Chiltern | $73,328 | $35.25 |
| 19 | Unitedheath Group | $73,039 | $35.11 |
| 20 | Nes Holdings | $72,470 | $34.84 |
The average associate programmer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail | $101,648 | $48.87 |
| 2 | Pharmaceutical | $91,590 | $44.03 |
| 3 | Professional | $79,698 | $38.32 |
| 4 | Technology | $78,727 | $37.85 |
The average associate programmer salary has risen by $13,280 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average associate programmer earned $58,315 annually, but today, they earn $71,595 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for associate programmers over the last decade.
Compare associate programmer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare associate programmer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $71,600 | $34.42 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $69,200 | $33.29 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $67,700 | $32.53 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $66,000 | $31.75 | +2.9% |
| 2021 | $64,100 | $30.82 | +0.4% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orlando Utilities Commission | Associate Programmer | Orlando, FL | 06/26/2025 | $58,338 |
| Perr&Knight | Associate Programmer | Downe, NJ | 06/26/2025 | $65,000 |
| The Momentary | Associate Programmer, Music | Bentonville, AR | 05/02/2025 | $48,399 |
| Merck | Associate Principal Statistical Programmer-Oncology (Hybrid) | Rahway, NJ | 03/30/2025 | $135,500 |
| SONY Interactive Entertainment LLC | Associate Programmer | Bend, OR | 03/06/2025 | $86,251 |
| Iqvia RDS Inc. | Associate Principal Statistical Programmer | Des Plaines, IL | 03/06/2025 | $142,744 |
| Erm | Consulting Associate, GIS Programmer | Seattle, WA | 01/29/2025 | $57,275 |
| Iqvia RDS Inc. | Associate Principal Statistical Programmer | Apex, NC | 12/19/2024 | $154,345 |
| Exelixis | Associate Principal Statistical Programmer | Alameda, CA | 12/15/2024 | $154,500 |
| High Rise Fire Protection Corp | Associate Fire Alarm Programmer | New York, NY | 12/11/2024 | $52,175 |
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