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Software programmer salary
Average software programmer salary
$71,612
Average Software Programmer Salary
As of October 2025, the average salary for a software programmer in the United States is approximately $71,612 per year. This figure can fluctuate based on various factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry in which one is employed.
Salary by State
Salaries vary widely across different states. For instance, states like California and New York typically offer higher wages due to the concentration of tech companies and the cost of living. Software programmers in these areas can expect salaries exceeding $100,000 annually.
Highest Paying Industries
The highest paying industries for software programmers include finance, healthcare, and technology. These sectors often offer competitive salaries and extensive benefits, making them attractive options for job seekers. Understanding these dynamics can help individuals identify the best opportunities for career advancement.
Conclusion
Overall, software programming remains a lucrative career choice, with ample opportunities for growth and development. By staying informed about salary trends and industry demands, job seekers can make strategic decisions to enhance their earning potential.
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Where can a Software Programmer earn more?
Software programmer salary estimates from across the web
Average software programmer salary by state
The highest-paying states for software programmers are Washington, California, and Oregon. The lowest average software programmer salary states are Arkansas, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for software programmers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $87,923 | $42.27 |
| 2 | Oregon | $79,522 | $38.23 |
| 3 | California | $84,716 | $40.73 |
| 4 | Delaware | $75,244 | $36.17 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $81,107 | $38.99 |
| 6 | Arizona | $75,152 | $36.13 |
| 7 | Virginia | $73,939 | $35.55 |
| 8 | Maryland | $75,392 | $36.25 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $72,357 | $34.79 |
| 10 | Nevada | $75,433 | $36.27 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $74,368 | $35.75 |
| 12 | Idaho | $72,829 | $35.01 |
| 13 | Vermont | $71,920 | $34.58 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $71,130 | $34.20 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $73,459 | $35.32 |
| 16 | South Carolina | $74,097 | $35.62 |
| 17 | Indiana | $71,075 | $34.17 |
| 18 | Utah | $69,971 | $33.64 |
| 19 | North Dakota | $71,209 | $34.24 |
| 20 | Texas | $70,188 | $33.74 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $73,644 | $35.41 |
| 22 | New York | $73,592 | $35.38 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $70,279 | $33.79 |
| 24 | Maine | $70,797 | $34.04 |
| 25 | Illinois | $70,380 | $33.84 |
| 26 | Kansas | $67,672 | $32.53 |
| 27 | Ohio | $69,274 | $33.30 |
| 28 | New Jersey | $70,157 | $33.73 |
| 29 | Kentucky | $68,354 | $32.86 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $67,821 | $32.61 |
| 31 | Alaska | $71,685 | $34.46 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $68,367 | $32.87 |
| 33 | Georgia | $68,831 | $33.09 |
| 34 | Rhode Island | $65,972 | $31.72 |
| 35 | Colorado | $69,110 | $33.23 |
| 36 | Mississippi | $68,495 | $32.93 |
| 37 | Iowa | $67,610 | $32.50 |
| 38 | Michigan | $66,641 | $32.04 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $64,132 | $30.83 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $67,704 | $32.55 |
| 41 | Missouri | $65,542 | $31.51 |
| 42 | New Hampshire | $65,784 | $31.63 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $65,522 | $31.50 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $66,654 | $32.05 |
| 45 | Florida | $66,622 | $32.03 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $68,235 | $32.81 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $61,135 | $29.39 |
| 48 | New Mexico | $60,152 | $28.92 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $62,181 | $29.89 |
| 50 | Montana | $59,188 | $28.46 |
| 51 | Alabama | $60,875 | $29.27 |
Highest paying cities for software programmers
The highest-paying cities for software programmers are San Francisco, CA, Washington, DC, and Wilmington, DE.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $90,884 | $43.69 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $81,074 | $38.98 |
| 3 | Wilmington, DE | $75,222 | $36.16 |
| 4 | Phoenix, AZ | $75,145 | $36.13 |
| 5 | Richmond, VA | $73,827 | $35.49 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $73,715 | $35.44 |
| 7 | Philadelphia, PA | $72,608 | $34.91 |
| 8 | Cary, NC | $71,445 | $34.35 |
| 9 | Austin, TX | $70,550 | $33.92 |
| 10 | Chicago, IL | $70,485 | $33.89 |
| 11 | Edison, NJ | $70,158 | $33.73 |
| 12 | Collierville, TN | $69,874 | $33.59 |
| 13 | Columbus, OH | $69,352 | $33.34 |
| 14 | Colorado Springs, CO | $69,287 | $33.31 |
| 15 | Duluth, GA | $68,981 | $33.16 |
| 16 | Tampa, FL | $66,903 | $32.16 |
| 17 | Detroit, MI | $66,704 | $32.07 |
| 18 | Dothan, AL | $60,576 | $29.12 |
Software programmer salary details
A software programmer's salary ranges from $55,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $92,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a software programmer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $92,000 | $7,667 | $44 |
| 75th Percentile | $81,000 | $6,750 | $39 |
| Average | $71,612 | $5,968 | $34 |
| 25th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
| 10th Percentile | $55,000 | $4,583 | $26 |
Highest paying software programmer jobs
The highest paying types of software programmers are lead programmer, software architect, and senior programmer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications Developer | $89,205 | $7,434 | $42.89 | 279,877 |
| Programmer Analyst | $71,563 | $5,964 | $34.41 | 248,781 |
| Applications Programmer | $85,133 | $7,094 | $40.93 | 215,240 |
| Software Analyst | $78,400 | $6,533 | $37.69 | 274,053 |
| Software Architect | $114,406 | $9,534 | $55.00 | 319,594 |
| Systems Analyst Programmer | $81,135 | $6,761 | $39.01 | 119,179 |
Top companies hiring software programmers now:
Which companies pay software programmers the most?
Software programmer salaries at Panaya and Kiteworks are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average software programmer salary at companies like Fuhu and Hitachi Vantara are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Panaya | $105,459 | $50.70 |
| 2 | Kiteworks | $100,223 | $48.18 |
| 3 | Fuhu | $98,422 | $47.32 |
| 4 | Hitachi Vantara | $95,590 | $45.96 |
| 5 | 8x8 | $94,264 | $45.32 |
| 6 | GlobalLogic | $92,196 | $44.33 |
| 7 | ANCILE Solutions, Inc. | $88,508 | $42.55 |
| 8 | Agilent Technologies | $87,644 | $42.14 |
| 9 | Take-Two Interactive Software | $86,840 | $41.75 |
| 10 | Mars | $85,353 | $41.04 |
| 11 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $84,351 | $40.55 |
| 12 | Fiserv | $82,999 | $39.90 |
| 13 | Neustar | $82,972 | $39.89 |
| 14 | Verani Realty | $82,474 | $39.65 |
| 15 | HCSC | $81,875 | $39.36 |
| 16 | IBM | $81,718 | $39.29 |
| 17 | Esri | $81,304 | $39.09 |
| 18 | Athene | $81,266 | $39.07 |
| 19 | Idaho Forest Group | $80,229 | $38.57 |
| 20 | Data | $78,148 | $37.57 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Software Programmer salary by industry
The average software programmer salary varies across industries:
- The average software programmer salary in the technology industry is $74,047, the highest of any industry.
- The average software programmer salary in the finance industry is $73,125.
- Software programmers in the manufacturing industry earn an average salary of $71,752, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for software programmers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $74,047 | $35.60 |
| 2 | Finance | $73,125 | $35.16 |
| 3 | Professional | $72,779 | $34.99 |
| 4 | Telecommunication | $72,649 | $34.93 |
| 5 | Manufacturing | $71,752 | $34.50 |
High paying software programmer jobs
Software programmer salary trends
The average software programmer salary has risen by $13,283 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average software programmer earned $58,329 annually, but today, they earn $71,612 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for software programmers over the last decade.
Compare software programmer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average software programmer salary over time
Compare software programmer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Software programmer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $71,600 | $34.43 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $69,300 | $33.29 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $67,700 | $32.54 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $66,000 | $31.75 | +2.9% |
| 2021 | $64,100 | $30.83 | +0.4% |
Recently added software programmer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas State Auditor's Office | Software Programmer/Developer | Austin, TX | 06/11/2025 | $65,000 |
| JFF | Software Programmers | Salem, MA | 06/10/2025 | $113,000 |
| Levi, Ray & Shoup, Inc. | Embedded Software Programmer (26913) | Springfield, MO | 06/08/2025 | $104,350 |
| Levi, Ray & Shoup, Inc. | Embedded Software Programmer | Springfield, IL | 06/07/2025 | $104,350 |
| Actalent | Software/Scada Programmer | Elkridge, MD | 05/20/2025 | $100,000 |
| JFF | Software Programmers | Salem, MA | 05/10/2025 | $113,000 |
| The University of Chicago | Computational Biology Software Programmer | Chicago, IL | 04/29/2025 | $64,000 |
| The University of Chicago | Computational Biology Software Programmer | Chicago, IL | 03/28/2025 | $64,000 |
| Smartsoft International Inc. | Software Programmer | Johns Creek, GA | 03/24/2025 | $99,008 |
| DCS Solutions Corporation | Software Programmer | Allentown, PA | 03/20/2025 | $105,000 |
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