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The average salary for a Senior Systems Developer is approximately $109,095 per year. This figure reflects a combination of factors including experience, skill level, and geographic location. For example, developers in states like California and New York often earn significantly more due to the higher cost of living and demand for tech talent.
Entry-level positions may start around $80,000, while those with extensive experience and specialized skills can earn upwards of $130,000. The tech industry is evolving, with increasing demand for skills in areas such as artificial intelligence, cloud services, and cybersecurity.
Industries such as finance and healthcare tend to offer the highest salaries for Senior Systems Developers. For instance, working for a major financial institution could yield a salary exceeding $150,000. As you consider your career trajectory, it's important to focus on developing skills that are in high demand, which could lead to lucrative job opportunities.
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The highest-paying states for senior systems developers are Washington, California, and New York. The lowest average senior systems developer salary states are Alabama, Wisconsin, and Kansas.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $131,424 | $63.18 |
| 2 | Vermont | $124,163 | $59.69 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $112,896 | $54.28 |
| 4 | Oregon | $117,362 | $56.42 |
| 5 | California | $129,168 | $62.10 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $114,455 | $55.03 |
| 7 | New York | $124,982 | $60.09 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $117,934 | $56.70 |
| 9 | Utah | $109,597 | $52.69 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $120,473 | $57.92 |
| 11 | Montana | $108,158 | $52.00 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $110,183 | $52.97 |
| 13 | South Carolina | $115,244 | $55.41 |
| 14 | Texas | $106,318 | $51.11 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $106,051 | $50.99 |
| 16 | Idaho | $107,285 | $51.58 |
| 17 | Michigan | $108,823 | $52.32 |
| 18 | Delaware | $110,204 | $52.98 |
| 19 | District of Columbia | $107,110 | $51.50 |
| 20 | Ohio | $103,021 | $49.53 |
| 21 | Nebraska | $103,864 | $49.93 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $102,950 | $49.50 |
| 23 | Nevada | $104,779 | $50.37 |
| 24 | Virginia | $104,238 | $50.11 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $101,838 | $48.96 |
| 26 | Alaska | $106,946 | $51.42 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $102,516 | $49.29 |
| 28 | Maine | $103,684 | $49.85 |
| 29 | Colorado | $105,515 | $50.73 |
| 30 | Illinois | $102,721 | $49.39 |
| 31 | Indiana | $101,630 | $48.86 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $100,954 | $48.54 |
| 33 | Maryland | $100,929 | $48.52 |
| 34 | Arizona | $98,193 | $47.21 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $99,306 | $47.74 |
| 36 | Connecticut | $101,819 | $48.95 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | $97,948 | $47.09 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $101,325 | $48.71 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $94,411 | $45.39 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $101,018 | $48.57 |
| 41 | Iowa | $98,807 | $47.50 |
| 42 | Missouri | $99,595 | $47.88 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $98,485 | $47.35 |
| 44 | Georgia | $94,320 | $45.35 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $95,086 | $45.71 |
| 46 | Kansas | $90,688 | $43.60 |
| 47 | Florida | $90,379 | $43.45 |
| 48 | Alabama | $92,570 | $44.50 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $89,315 | $42.94 |
| 50 | Wisconsin | $91,077 | $43.79 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $85,612 | $41.16 |
The highest-paying cities for senior systems developers are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $138,245 | $66.46 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $132,048 | $63.48 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $125,045 | $60.12 |
| 4 | Waltham, MA | $120,474 | $57.92 |
| 5 | Newark, NJ | $118,126 | $56.79 |
| 6 | Eagan, MN | $110,318 | $53.04 |
| 7 | Farmington Hills, MI | $108,962 | $52.39 |
| 8 | Washington, DC | $107,205 | $51.54 |
| 9 | Fort Worth, TX | $107,037 | $51.46 |
| 10 | Denver, CO | $105,526 | $50.73 |
| 11 | Richmond, VA | $104,107 | $50.05 |
| 12 | Morrisville, NC | $103,358 | $49.69 |
| 13 | Evanston, IL | $103,052 | $49.54 |
| 14 | Findlay, OH | $103,008 | $49.52 |
| 15 | Owings Mills, MD | $101,195 | $48.65 |
| 16 | Brentwood, TN | $101,068 | $48.59 |
| 17 | Jackson, MS | $98,677 | $47.44 |
| 18 | Phoenix, AZ | $98,372 | $47.29 |
| 19 | Philadelphia, PA | $98,274 | $47.25 |
| 20 | Johns Creek, GA | $94,559 | $45.46 |
A senior systems developer's salary ranges from $85,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $139,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $139,000 | $11,583 | $67 |
| 75th Percentile | $124,000 | $10,333 | $60 |
| Average | $109,095 | $9,091 | $52 |
| 25th Percentile | $95,000 | $7,917 | $46 |
| 10th Percentile | $85,000 | $7,083 | $41 |
The highest paying types of senior systems developers are senior/lead developer, senior systems software engineer, and lead developer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Developer Analyst | $85,279 | $7,107 | $41.00 | 219,524 |
| Team Lead And Developer | $85,824 | $7,152 | $41.26 | 350,426 |
| NET Developer | $88,984 | $7,415 | $42.78 | 236,690 |
| Software Developer | $87,521 | $7,293 | $42.08 | 294,329 |
| Lead Developer | $116,340 | $9,695 | $55.93 | 274,208 |
| Web Developer | $78,975 | $6,581 | $37.97 | 227,881 |
Top companies hiring senior systems developers now:
Senior systems developer salaries at Mayo Clinic and Apple are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior systems developer salary at companies like PacBio and KBI Global Investors are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mayo Clinic | $145,049 | $69.74 |
| 2 | Apple | $136,432 | $65.59 |
| 3 | PacBio | $136,383 | $65.57 |
| 4 | KBI Global Investors | $134,089 | $64.47 |
| 5 | Barclays | $129,734 | $62.37 |
| 6 | Phillips 66 | $128,565 | $61.81 |
| 7 | Amazon | $127,717 | $61.40 |
| 8 | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | $127,631 | $61.36 |
| 9 | RingCentral | $126,170 | $60.66 |
| 10 | H-E-B | $125,039 | $60.11 |
| 11 | Bank of the West | $124,673 | $59.94 |
| 12 | Citrix | $123,897 | $59.57 |
| 13 | 99 Cents Only Stores | $123,499 | $59.37 |
| 14 | Saks | $123,441 | $59.35 |
| 15 | Allston Trading | $123,173 | $59.22 |
| 16 | Kabam | $123,009 | $59.14 |
| 17 | Qualys | $122,546 | $58.92 |
| 18 | Salesforce | $122,231 | $58.76 |
| 19 | Guitar Center | $121,631 | $58.48 |
| 20 | Walmart | $121,584 | $58.45 |
The average senior systems developer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $111,483 | $53.60 |
| 2 | Automotive | $108,138 | $51.99 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $105,149 | $50.55 |
| 4 | Transportation | $100,999 | $48.56 |
| 5 | Education | $100,485 | $48.31 |
| 6 | Technology | $99,312 | $47.75 |
The average senior systems developer salary has risen by $20,253 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior systems developer earned $88,842 annually, but today, they earn $109,095 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for senior systems developers over the last decade.
Compare senior systems developer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare senior systems developer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $109,000 | $52.45 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $106,000 | $50.72 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $103,000 | $49.57 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | $101,000 | $48.70 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $99,600 | $47.88 | +1.8% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Centric Technology | SR Systems Developer | Dallas, TX | 06/25/2025 | $110,000 |
| Olin Corporation | SR Systems Developer-Manufacturing & Engineering (M&E) IT | Houston, TX | 06/24/2025 | $115,000 |
| Reinsurance Group of America | Hrit Workday-Senior Systems Developer | Noel, MO | 06/20/2025 | $87,050 |
| GD Resources | Senior Systems Developer | New York, NY | 06/12/2025 | $83,480 |
| Klaviyo | AI Senior Developer, GTM Systems | San Francisco, CA | 06/09/2025 | $116,000 |
| Klaviyo | AI Senior Developer, GTM Systems | Boston, MA | 06/09/2025 | $116,000 |
| Klaviyo | AI Senior Developer, GTM Systems | Denver, CO | 06/09/2025 | $116,000 |
| Falconx | Senior Trading Systems Developer-Electronic Trading (Java/Rust) | New York, NY | 06/03/2025 | $179,000 |
| Juul | Senior ERP Systems Developer | San Francisco, CA | 05/26/2025 | $142,000 |
| Amazon | Senior Systems Developer-Robotics, AWS Data Center Engineering | San Francisco, CA | 05/17/2025 | $136,100 |
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