How much does a programmer make?

The average programmer salary in the United States is $73,007. Programmer salaries typically range between $54,000 and $98,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for programmers is $35.1 per hour. Programmer salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Programmers earn the highest average salary in Washington.

Programmer salary

Q: What state pays Programmers the most?

Washington pays Programmers the most in the United States, with an average salary of $91,320 per year, or $43.90 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a programmer?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a programmer if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Oregon you should be paid close to $81,648 per year.

Q: What is a good starting salary for a Programmer?

A good starting salary for a programmer is $61,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a programmer in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for programmers is $79,786, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a programmer can vary by state.

Q: What is the highest-paid programming language?

The highest-paid programming language is believed to be Perl. Perl has been consistently reported as one of the top earning languages for programmers, although it is difficult to have an exact answer, as it can vary depending on factors such as geographic location, industry, and level of experience.

Q: Do programmers get paid well?

Yes, programmers get paid well. The average programmer makes around $67,000 a year ($32.63 an hour). The top programmers can make upwards of $125,000 a year. Factors such as location and industry impact how much a programmer gets paid.

Q: How much money can you make as a programmer?

As a programmer, you can make $67,000 a year, on average. The range of how much a programmer can make starts from as little as $42,000 a year to as much as $114,000 a year. Factors such as location and industry impact how much a programmer gets paid.

Q: What is the average salary of a C++ programmer?

The average salary of a C++ programmer is $81,045 a year. There is some degree of variability in what a C++ programmer can make - starting from as little as $61,000 to as much as $131,000 a year.

Average programmer salary

$73,007

$35.1 hourly rate

Entry-level programmer salary

$54,000 yearly salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding Programmer Salaries

The average salary for a programmer in the United States stands at $73,007 annually. This figure reflects variations based on factors such as geographic location, industry, and years of experience. For instance, seasoned programmers often command higher salaries, particularly in tech hubs like San Francisco or New York.

In addition to geographic factors, the type of programming role also influences salary ranges. Specialized positions, such as software developers or data scientists, may offer higher compensation compared to general programming roles. On average, you can expect entry-level programmers to earn around $55,000, while experienced professionals can earn upwards of $100,000, particularly in industries like finance and technology.

To maximize your earning potential, consider roles in high-demand fields or obtaining certifications that enhance your skill set. By understanding these salary dynamics, you can make informed career decisions that align with your professional aspirations.

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Where can a Programmer earn more?

Compare salary by location

118k

98k

78k

58k

38k

Columbus, OH$91,793

Farmington Hills, MI$67,566

Compare salary by company

153k

133k

113k

93k

73k

Mayo Clinic$137,378

AIG$103,138

Programmer salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Indeed and Glassdoor, the average salary for a programmer typically falls between $60,058 and $100,083.

zippia

$73,007yearly

glassdoor[1]

$100,083yearly

indeed[2]

$60,058yearly

Salary.com[3]

$69,354yearly

Average programmer salary by state

The highest-paying states for programmers are Washington, Oregon, and California. The lowest average programmer salary states are Nebraska, Montana, and South Dakota.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for programmers

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Washington	$91,320	$43.90
2	Oregon	$81,648	$39.25
3	Idaho	$74,502	$35.82
4	California	$81,522	$39.19
5	Maine	$76,035	$36.56
6	West Virginia	$77,842	$37.42
7	Pennsylvania	$74,174	$35.66
8	Arizona	$74,296	$35.72
9	North Dakota	$74,819	$35.97
10	District of Columbia	$77,323	$37.17
11	Massachusetts	$74,392	$35.77
12	Maryland	$74,509	$35.82
13	North Carolina	$72,907	$35.05
14	Nevada	$76,243	$36.66
15	Connecticut	$74,383	$35.76
16	Minnesota	$73,653	$35.41
17	Illinois	$73,581	$35.38
18	Georgia	$73,144	$35.17
19	Virginia	$73,456	$35.32
20	Vermont	$71,787	$34.51
21	Indiana	$69,909	$33.61
22	New York	$74,663	$35.90
23	Rhode Island	$70,065	$33.69
24	Mississippi	$71,637	$34.44
25	New Hampshire	$70,779	$34.03
26	Texas	$69,160	$33.25
27	Utah	$68,253	$32.81
28	Iowa	$69,017	$33.18
29	Ohio	$68,555	$32.96
30	Delaware	$68,241	$32.81
31	Kentucky	$68,561	$32.96
32	New Jersey	$69,730	$33.52
33	Wisconsin	$68,664	$33.01
34	Alaska	$70,579	$33.93
35	Tennessee	$68,484	$32.92
36	Alabama	$67,300	$32.36
37	Michigan	$67,584	$32.49
38	Arkansas	$66,984	$32.20
39	South Carolina	$69,099	$33.22
40	Louisiana	$68,237	$32.81
41	Oklahoma	$67,637	$32.52
42	Colorado	$66,308	$31.88
43	Kansas	$65,609	$31.54
44	Missouri	$67,671	$32.53
45	Montana	$61,200	$29.42
46	New Mexico	$66,617	$32.03
47	Nebraska	$65,465	$31.47
48	Wyoming	$57,596	$27.69
49	Florida	$52,968	$25.47
50	Hawaii	$54,838	$26.36
51	South Dakota	$59,221	$28.47

Top programmer jobs near you

Highest paying cities for programmers

The highest-paying cities for programmers are Bothell, WA, San Francisco, CA, and Washington, DC.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Bothell, WA	$91,793	$44.13
2	San Francisco, CA	$87,196	$41.92
3	Washington, DC	$77,405	$37.21
4	New York, NY	$74,778	$35.95
5	Baltimore, MD	$74,527	$35.83
6	Middletown, CT	$74,477	$35.81
7	Phoenix, AZ	$74,426	$35.78
8	Boston, MA	$74,424	$35.78
9	Philadelphia, PA	$74,422	$35.78
10	Minneapolis, MN	$73,702	$35.43
11	Chicago, IL	$73,690	$35.43
12	Alpharetta, GA	$73,418	$35.30
13	Sterling, VA	$73,308	$35.24
14	Durham, NC	$73,227	$35.21
15	Austin, TX	$70,022	$33.66
16	Columbus, IN	$69,919	$33.61
17	Middletown, NJ	$69,811	$33.56
18	Columbus, OH	$68,602	$32.98
19	Saint Louis, MO	$68,333	$32.85
20	Farmington Hills, MI	$67,566	$32.48

Programmers are the most in-demand in these five cities:

Programmer salary details

A programmer's salary ranges from $54,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $98,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average programmer salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a programmer's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$98,000	$8,167	$47
75th Percentile	$85,000	$7,083	$41
Average	$73,007	$6,084	$35
25th Percentile	$62,000	$5,167	$30
10th Percentile	$54,000	$4,500	$26

Highest paying programmer jobs

The highest paying types of programmers are lead programmer, senior programmer, and programmer/analyst lead.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Web Application Developer	$85,840	$7,153	$41.27	229,802
Applications Developer	$89,205	$7,434	$42.89	279,877
Software Design Engineer	$98,799	$8,233	$47.50	315,080
Software Developer	$87,521	$7,293	$42.08	294,329
Software Engineer	$100,260	$8,355	$48.20	339,938
Developer	$100,076	$8,340	$48.11	262,570

Top companies hiring programmers now:

Which companies pay programmers the most?

Programmer salaries at Mayo Clinic and NVIDIA are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average programmer salary at companies like Apple and Amazon are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Mayo Clinic	$137,378	$66.05
2	NVIDIA	$129,877	$62.44
3	Apple	$129,606	$62.31
4	Amazon	$111,837	$53.77
5	Bristol-Myers Squibb	$110,850	$53.29
6	ByteDance	$108,460	$52.14
7	AllianceBernstein	$108,418	$52.12
8	Barclays	$108,355	$52.09
9	AstraZeneca	$108,322	$52.08
10	Stanford University	$107,646	$51.75
11	Fortinet	$107,108	$51.49
12	Obsidian Entertainment	$105,390	$50.67
13	Pfizer	$104,700	$50.34
14	VanEck	$104,511	$50.25
15	Trimark Associates	$104,342	$50.16
16	Merck	$104,163	$50.08
17	Marist School	$103,692	$49.85
18	University of California	$103,548	$49.78
19	Oaktree Capital Management	$103,193	$49.61
20	AIG	$103,138	$49.59

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$73,000$71,800$70,600$69,400$68,200$67,000

MaleFemale

Programmer salary by industry

The average programmer salary varies across industries:

The average programmer salary in the finance industry is $86,815, the highest of any industry.
The average programmer salary in the finance industry is $76,493.
Programmers in the professional industry earn an average salary of $74,460, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for programmers

Rank	Industry	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Finance	$86,815	$41.74
2	Telecommunication	$76,493	$36.78
3	Technology	$76,482	$36.77
4	Manufacturing	$75,560	$36.33
5	Energy	$75,311	$36.21
6	Professional	$74,460	$35.80

High paying programmer jobs

Programmer salary trends

The average programmer salary has risen by $13,542 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average programmer earned $59,465 annually, but today, they earn $73,007 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for programmers over the last decade.

Compare programmer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average programmer salary over time

Compare programmer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Programmer salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$73,000	$35.10	+3.3%
2024	$70,600	$33.94	+2.3%
2023	$69,000	$33.17	+2.4%
2022	$67,300	$32.37	+2.9%
2021	$65,400	$31.43	+0.4%

Recently added programmer salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Ou Health	Student Programmer (Summer)	Norman, OK	06/29/2025	$20,870
EOS Technologies	Audio Visual Crestron Programmer	New York, NY	06/29/2025	$100,000
Beitzel Corporation	Industrial Programmer	Evansville, IN	06/29/2025	$50,088
Quanex Building Products Corporation	Fiber Laser Programmer	Trumann, AR	06/27/2025	$38,380
The Aerospace Corporation	Enterprise Audiovisual Programmer	El Segundo, CA	06/27/2025	$95,200
Warner Bros. Discovery	Social Programmer I, House of Highlights (Temporary)	Hartford, CT	06/27/2025	$43,680
Tata Consulting Services	CAA Programmer-C++, Catia CAA	Seattle, WA	06/27/2025	$110,000
Actalent	Automation Programmer	Suffolk, VA	06/27/2025	$85,000
Actalent	Scada Programmer	Elkridge, MD	06/27/2025	$104,350
State of Kansas	Peoplesoft Programmer I	Shawnee, KS	06/27/2025	$65,000

Programmer salary FAQs

What state pays Programmers the most?

How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a programmer?

What is a good starting salary for a Programmer?

What is the highest-paid programming language?

Do programmers get paid well?

How much money can you make as a programmer?

What is the average salary of a C++ programmer?

Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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