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Computer programmer salary
Average computer programmer salary
$70,979
Understanding Computer Programmer Salaries
The average salary for a computer programmer in the United States is $70,979 annually, translating to about $34 per hour. Salaries can vary based on experience, specialization, and geographic region. For instance, programmers in states like California and Washington often see higher compensation due to the demand for tech talent. On the other hand, regions with a lower cost of living may offer less competitive salaries.
Salary by Experience
Entry-level programmers can expect to earn less, while those with several years of experience can command significantly higher wages. Additionally, specialized roles such as software developers or web developers typically offer enhanced salary prospects. For example, software developers earn an average of $85,000 annually, reflecting the increased demand for their skill set.
Job Opportunities and Growth
The job market for computer programmers remains strong, with numerous opportunities across various industries, including finance, healthcare, and technology. As digital transformation accelerates, the need for skilled programmers continues to grow, making this career path a promising option for job seekers.
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Where can a Computer Programmer earn more?
Computer programmer salary estimates from across the web
Average computer programmer salary by state
The highest-paying states for computer programmers are Washington, California, and Oregon. The lowest average computer programmer salary states are Montana, Hawaii, and West Virginia.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for computer programmers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $89,760 | $43.15 |
| 2 | Oregon | $77,845 | $37.43 |
| 3 | North Carolina | $73,377 | $35.28 |
| 4 | Maine | $74,684 | $35.91 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $72,748 | $34.98 |
| 6 | Idaho | $72,828 | $35.01 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $77,515 | $37.27 |
| 8 | California | $78,246 | $37.62 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $70,782 | $34.03 |
| 10 | Illinois | $74,073 | $35.61 |
| 11 | Maryland | $72,952 | $35.07 |
| 12 | Vermont | $71,620 | $34.43 |
| 13 | Virginia | $71,624 | $34.43 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $73,770 | $35.47 |
| 15 | Arizona | $71,449 | $34.35 |
| 16 | Georgia | $72,129 | $34.68 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $71,945 | $34.59 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $72,268 | $34.74 |
| 19 | Indiana | $69,739 | $33.53 |
| 20 | New York | $72,029 | $34.63 |
| 21 | Texas | $68,983 | $33.16 |
| 22 | Kentucky | $70,300 | $33.80 |
| 23 | South Dakota | $68,948 | $33.15 |
| 24 | Mississippi | $69,870 | $33.59 |
| 25 | Iowa | $69,860 | $33.59 |
| 26 | Rhode Island | $67,915 | $32.65 |
| 27 | Nevada | $69,711 | $33.51 |
| 28 | Delaware | $68,568 | $32.97 |
| 29 | Alaska | $71,824 | $34.53 |
| 30 | Ohio | $68,650 | $33.00 |
| 31 | New Hampshire | $68,244 | $32.81 |
| 32 | Michigan | $67,804 | $32.60 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $68,141 | $32.76 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $69,282 | $33.31 |
| 35 | Colorado | $67,618 | $32.51 |
| 36 | Utah | $64,982 | $31.24 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $67,921 | $32.65 |
| 38 | Alabama | $66,800 | $32.12 |
| 39 | Montana | $64,613 | $31.06 |
| 40 | Kansas | $66,953 | $32.19 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $63,531 | $30.54 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $65,815 | $31.64 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $68,481 | $32.92 |
| 44 | Missouri | $67,970 | $32.68 |
| 45 | New Jersey | $66,407 | $31.93 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $67,525 | $32.46 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $65,510 | $31.50 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $60,912 | $29.28 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $61,700 | $29.66 |
| 50 | New Mexico | $59,242 | $28.48 |
| 51 | Florida | $60,833 | $29.25 |
Highest paying cities for computer programmers
The highest-paying cities for computer programmers are Richmond, CA, Washington, DC, and Chicago, IL.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richmond, CA | $84,011 | $40.39 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $77,532 | $37.27 |
| 3 | Chicago, IL | $74,119 | $35.63 |
| 4 | Stamford, CT | $73,826 | $35.49 |
| 5 | Jacksonville, NC | $73,542 | $35.36 |
| 6 | Philadelphia, PA | $72,855 | $35.03 |
| 7 | Alpharetta, GA | $72,301 | $34.76 |
| 8 | Boston, MA | $72,273 | $34.75 |
| 9 | New York, NY | $72,054 | $34.64 |
| 10 | Bloomington, MN | $71,957 | $34.59 |
| 11 | McLean, VA | $71,728 | $34.48 |
| 12 | Phoenix, AZ | $71,440 | $34.35 |
| 13 | Columbus, MS | $70,178 | $33.74 |
| 14 | Columbus, IN | $69,768 | $33.54 |
| 15 | Austin, TX | $69,081 | $33.21 |
| 16 | Columbus, OH | $68,710 | $33.03 |
| 17 | Newark, DE | $68,580 | $32.97 |
| 18 | Saint Louis, MO | $68,402 | $32.89 |
| 19 | Warren, MI | $67,775 | $32.58 |
| 20 | Edison, NJ | $66,414 | $31.93 |
Computer programmer salary details
A computer programmer's salary ranges from $55,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $90,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a computer programmer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $90,000 | $7,500 | $43 |
| 75th Percentile | $80,000 | $6,667 | $38 |
| Average | $70,979 | $5,915 | $34 |
| 25th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
| 10th Percentile | $55,000 | $4,583 | $26 |
Highest paying computer programmer jobs
The highest paying types of computer programmers are lead programmer, senior programmer, and programmer/analyst lead.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Development Team Member | $27,071 | $2,256 | $13.02 | 389,951 |
| Software Consultant | $88,605 | $7,384 | $42.60 | 275,746 |
| Project Developer | $89,766 | $7,480 | $43.16 | 303,850 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | $82,655 | $6,888 | $39.74 | 118,439 |
| Computer Science Internship | $34,749 | $2,896 | $16.71 | 75,675 |
| Program Developer | $74,749 | $6,229 | $35.94 | 128,488 |
Top companies hiring computer programmers now:
Which companies pay computer programmers the most?
Computer programmer salaries at Google and NVIDIA are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average computer programmer salary at companies like Microsoft and Chegg are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $121,217 | $58.28 | |
| 2 | NVIDIA | $115,810 | $55.68 |
| 3 | Microsoft | $109,687 | $52.73 |
| 4 | Chegg | $109,501 | $52.64 |
| 5 | Genentech | $108,132 | $51.99 |
| 6 | Cadence Design Systems | $106,392 | $51.15 |
| 7 | Apple | $106,346 | $51.13 |
| 8 | PayPal | $105,534 | $50.74 |
| 9 | Silvaco | $104,335 | $50.16 |
| 10 | Varian Medical Systems | $103,147 | $49.59 |
| 11 | Lindsey & Associates | $102,990 | $49.51 |
| 12 | Kiteworks | $101,732 | $48.91 |
| 13 | Commvault | $99,110 | $47.65 |
| 14 | Juniper Networks | $97,312 | $46.78 |
| 15 | Mayo Clinic | $97,128 | $46.70 |
| 16 | Fortinet | $97,114 | $46.69 |
| 17 | GlobalLogic | $97,071 | $46.67 |
| 18 | Cantor Fitzgerald | $94,874 | $45.61 |
| 19 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $94,242 | $45.31 |
| 20 | Amgen | $94,001 | $45.19 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Computer programmer salary trends
The average computer programmer salary has risen by $13,166 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average computer programmer earned $57,813 annually, but today, they earn $70,979 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for computer programmers over the last decade.
Compare computer programmer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average computer programmer salary over time
Compare computer programmer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Computer programmer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $71,000 | $34.12 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $68,600 | $33.00 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $67,100 | $32.25 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $65,500 | $31.47 | +2.9% |
| 2021 | $63,600 | $30.55 | +0.4% |
Recently added computer programmer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atwork-Greenville Sc | CAD Programmer | Greenville, SC | 06/27/2025 | $50,088 |
| Send Cut Send Inc. | Cad/Cam Programmer | Reno, NV | 05/28/2025 | $70,958 |
| State of Maine | Computer Programmer | Augusta, ME | 05/17/2025 | $53,198 |
| CSSI, Inc. | Computer Programmer | Washington, DC | 05/17/2025 | $157,843 |
| Headquarters | Computer Programmer | Washington, DC | 05/17/2025 | $157,843 |
| St. Cloud Area School District 742 | Computer Programmer | Nore, MN | 05/10/2025 | $54,262 |
| Mag Aerospace | Niwc Computer Programmer III | Jacksonville, FL | 04/19/2025 | $86,250 |
| Mag | Niwc Computer Programmer IV | Jacksonville, FL | 04/18/2025 | $86,250 |
| Skilltune Technologies Inc. | Computer Programmer | Chicago, IL | 03/24/2025 | $61,500 |
| Elite It Technologies LLC | Computer Programmer | Pleasanton, CA | 03/24/2025 | $95,000 |
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