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The salary for a C++ developer varies widely based on experience, location, and industry. As of October 2025, the average annual salary is $106,028, or approximately $51 per hour. In top-paying states, such as California and Washington, salaries can exceed this average, reflecting the demand for skilled programmers in tech hubs.
Entry-level developers typically earn around $70,000, while those with several years of experience can see their salaries rise to over $120,000, depending on their skills and the complexity of projects they handle. Senior developers or those in management roles can earn even more, with some positions exceeding $150,000.
C++ developers find lucrative opportunities in various sectors, including finance, gaming, and technology. Companies in the finance sector often pay higher salaries due to the complexity and critical nature of their software systems. Gaming companies also value C++ skills for developing high-performance applications.
For those pursuing a career in C++, staying informed about salary trends and opportunities is essential. Utilize resources like Zippia to explore job openings and salary estimates tailored to your experience and location.
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The highest-paying states for c++ developers are California, New York, and Nevada. The lowest average c++ developer salary states are South Carolina, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $125,588 | $60.38 |
| 2 | Oregon | $109,613 | $52.70 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $103,411 | $49.72 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $103,667 | $49.84 |
| 5 | Nevada | $110,554 | $53.15 |
| 6 | Idaho | $103,314 | $49.67 |
| 7 | New York | $118,539 | $56.99 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $103,849 | $49.93 |
| 9 | Vermont | $98,555 | $47.38 |
| 10 | Arizona | $107,191 | $51.53 |
| 11 | Illinois | $102,524 | $49.29 |
| 12 | Washington | $104,891 | $50.43 |
| 13 | Ohio | $96,673 | $46.48 |
| 14 | Texas | $96,422 | $46.36 |
| 15 | Virginia | $97,622 | $46.93 |
| 16 | Maryland | $99,235 | $47.71 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $94,480 | $45.42 |
| 18 | Utah | $93,344 | $44.88 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $98,692 | $47.45 |
| 20 | Delaware | $95,732 | $46.02 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $100,558 | $48.35 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $96,730 | $46.50 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $94,732 | $45.54 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $90,321 | $43.42 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $92,269 | $44.36 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $88,563 | $42.58 |
| 27 | Mississippi | $95,190 | $45.76 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $91,466 | $43.97 |
| 29 | Montana | $87,359 | $42.00 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $90,347 | $43.44 |
| 31 | District of Columbia | $87,081 | $41.87 |
| 32 | Iowa | $89,526 | $43.04 |
| 33 | Michigan | $87,374 | $42.01 |
| 34 | Georgia | $87,334 | $41.99 |
| 35 | Colorado | $87,849 | $42.24 |
| 36 | Maine | $86,456 | $41.57 |
| 37 | Arkansas | $82,851 | $39.83 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $86,645 | $41.66 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $79,419 | $38.18 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $83,530 | $40.16 |
| 41 | Indiana | $83,464 | $40.13 |
| 42 | Florida | $83,827 | $40.30 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $88,125 | $42.37 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $84,817 | $40.78 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $75,958 | $36.52 |
| 46 | Alaska | $83,153 | $39.98 |
| 47 | Kansas | $74,305 | $35.72 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $78,301 | $37.64 |
| 49 | Missouri | $79,946 | $38.44 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $79,888 | $38.41 |
| 51 | Alabama | $78,007 | $37.50 |
The highest-paying cities for c++ developers are San Francisco, CA, New York, NY, and Jersey City, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $134,378 | $64.60 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $118,670 | $57.05 |
| 3 | Jersey City, NJ | $104,047 | $50.02 |
| 4 | Philadelphia, PA | $103,822 | $49.91 |
| 5 | Wheeling, IL | $103,555 | $49.79 |
| 6 | Woodlawn, MD | $99,465 | $47.82 |
| 7 | Reston, VA | $98,962 | $47.58 |
| 8 | Natick, MA | $98,791 | $47.50 |
| 9 | Austin, TX | $96,912 | $46.59 |
| 10 | Wilmington, DE | $95,940 | $46.13 |
| 11 | Dover, NH | $94,471 | $45.42 |
| 12 | Cincinnati, OH | $92,603 | $44.52 |
| 13 | Minneapolis, MN | $92,448 | $44.45 |
| 14 | Waukesha, WI | $91,419 | $43.95 |
| 15 | Charlotte, NC | $89,221 | $42.89 |
| 16 | Boulder, CO | $87,896 | $42.26 |
| 17 | Alpharetta, GA | $86,963 | $41.81 |
| 18 | Temple Terrace, FL | $84,591 | $40.67 |
| 19 | Bentonville, AR | $81,727 | $39.29 |
| 20 | Sioux Falls, SD | $77,950 | $37.48 |
A c++ developer's salary ranges from $75,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $149,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $149,000 | $12,417 | $72 |
| 75th Percentile | $127,000 | $10,583 | $61 |
| Average | $106,028 | $8,836 | $51 |
| 25th Percentile | $88,000 | $7,333 | $42 |
| 10th Percentile | $75,000 | $6,250 | $36 |
The highest paying types of c++ developers are lead developer, lead software developer, and architect and developer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Applications Developer | $99,257 | $8,271 | $47.72 | 252,254 |
| Software Developer Internship | $38,480 | $3,207 | $18.50 | 314,860 |
| Data Warehouse Developer | $93,381 | $7,782 | $44.89 | 194,780 |
| Developer/Consultant | $98,508 | $8,209 | $47.36 | 257,985 |
| Lead Software Developer | $115,072 | $9,589 | $55.32 | 309,029 |
| Architect And Developer | $110,970 | $9,248 | $53.35 | 316,181 |
Top companies hiring c++ developers now:
C++ developer salaries at The Citadel and Tradeweb are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average c++ developer salary at companies like Logitech and Bloomberg are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Citadel | $156,196 | $75.09 |
| 2 | Tradeweb | $135,219 | $65.01 |
| 3 | Logitech | $132,049 | $63.49 |
| 4 | Bloomberg | $130,622 | $62.80 |
| 5 | Atlassian | $129,551 | $62.28 |
| 6 | Barclays | $128,456 | $61.76 |
| 7 | Adobe | $126,685 | $60.91 |
| 8 | Deutsche Bank | $126,326 | $60.73 |
| 9 | Schrödinger Inc | $124,429 | $59.82 |
| 10 | Commvault | $121,963 | $58.64 |
| 11 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $121,377 | $58.35 |
| 12 | ICES Education | $120,983 | $58.16 |
| 13 | Parsons | $120,729 | $58.04 |
| 14 | Kelly Services | $118,789 | $57.11 |
| 15 | King | $118,507 | $56.97 |
| 16 | TeleCommunication Systems | $117,596 | $56.54 |
| 17 | Motion Recruitment | $117,180 | $56.34 |
| 18 | Serve Incorporated | $117,077 | $56.29 |
| 19 | The NPD Group | $116,144 | $55.84 |
| 20 | ASML Holding | $115,582 | $55.57 |
The average c++ developer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail | $112,833 | $54.25 |
| 2 | Transportation | $111,358 | $53.54 |
| 3 | Finance | $106,814 | $51.35 |
| 4 | Automotive | $106,356 | $51.13 |
| 5 | Manufacturing | $101,217 | $48.66 |
| 6 | Technology | $101,202 | $48.65 |
The average c++ developer salary has risen by $19,684 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average c++ developer earned $86,344 annually, but today, they earn $106,028 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for c++ developers over the last decade.
Compare c++ developer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare c++ developer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $106,000 | $50.97 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $103,000 | $49.30 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $100,000 | $48.18 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $98,400 | $47.33 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $96,800 | $46.53 | +1.8% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Esri | C++ Windows Developer II-Arcgis Pro | Redlands, CA | 06/29/2025 | $97,760 |
| Global Channel Management, Inc. | Remote Junior C++ Developer | Atlanta, GA | 06/29/2025 | $60,523 |
| Yoh, A Day & Zimmermann Company | C++ Developer Hybrid TX W2 Only | Dallas, TX | 06/27/2025 | $102,263 |
| Innova Solutions | C++ Developer | McLean, VA | 06/27/2025 | $146,090 |
| Matlen Silver | C++ Developer | Jersey City, NJ | 06/27/2025 | $135,655 |
| Eliassen Group | C++ Developer | Westlake, TX | 06/20/2025 | $135,655 |
| Booz Allen Hamilton | Signal Processing C++ Developer | Beavercreek, OH | 06/18/2025 | $86,800 |
| Forterra | C++ Developer-Front-End | Clarksburg, MD | 06/17/2025 | $130,000 |
| Tata Consulting Services | C++ Developer | Atlanta, GA | 06/10/2025 | $100,000 |
| Hudson Valley Trading Co | Experienced C++ Developer, Options | Chicago, IL | 06/09/2025 | $175,000 |
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