Software developer demographics and statistics in the US
Software developer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates software developer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our software developer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about software developers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 623,431 software developers currently employed in the United States.
- 20.7% of all software developers are women, while 79.3% are men.
- The average software developer age is 39 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of software developers is White (52.5%), followed by Asian (29.9%), Hispanic or Latino (8.2%) and Unknown (4.8%).
- In 2022, women earned 94% of what men earned.
- 8% of all software developers are LGBT.
- Software developers are 75% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Software developer demographics by:
Software developer gender statistics
20.7% of software developers are women and 79.3% of software developers are men.
- Male, 79.3%
- Female, 20.7%
Software developer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 79.3% |
| Female | 20.7% |
Software developer gender pay gap
Women earn 94¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$85,696
Female income
$80,826
Software developer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in software developer positions over time. Currently, 20.7% of software developers are female.
Software developer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 76.64% | 23.36% |
| 2011 | 76.40% | 23.60% |
| 2012 | 77.78% | 22.22% |
| 2013 | 77.68% | 22.32% |
| 2014 | 78.78% | 21.22% |
| 2015 | 78.49% | 21.51% |
| 2016 | 80.06% | 19.94% |
| 2017 | 79.52% | 20.48% |
| 2018 | 79.56% | 20.44% |
| 2019 | 79.29% | 20.71% |
| 2020 | 79.23% | 20.77% |
| 2021 | 79.34% | 20.66% |
Software developer related jobs gender ratio
We compared software developers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, dell certified systems expert and software applications architect have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Informatics Nurse Specialist | 13% | 87% |
| Clinical Support Specialist | 22% | 78% |
| Clinic Administrator | 23% | 77% |
| Software Developer | 79% | 21% |
| Senior Data Center Engineer | 98% | 2% |
| Software Applications Architect | 98% | 2% |
| Dell Certified Systems Expert | 99% | 1% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Software developer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among software developers is White, which makes up 52.5% of all software developers. Comparatively, 29.9% of software developers are Asian and 8.2% of software developers are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 52.5%
- Asian, 29.9%
- Hispanic or Latino, 8.2%
- Unknown, 4.8%
- Black or African American, 4.5%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
Software developer race
| Software developer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 52.5% |
| Asian | 29.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.2% |
| Unknown | 4.8% |
| Black or African American | 4.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.1% |
Software developer race and ethnicity over time
See how software developer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Software developer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 60.55% | 5.54% | 25.70% | 5.73% |
| 2011 | 61.02% | 5.77% | 25.20% | 5.44% |
| 2012 | 59.93% | 5.30% | 26.58% | 5.88% |
| 2013 | 60.32% | 4.83% | 26.40% | 5.70% |
| 2014 | 59.20% | 5.34% | 27.05% | 5.82% |
| 2015 | 58.37% | 5.15% | 27.17% | 6.40% |
| 2016 | 57.87% | 5.14% | 27.88% | 6.40% |
| 2017 | 56.45% | 5.02% | 28.43% | 6.76% |
| 2018 | 57.10% | 4.87% | 27.66% | 7.38% |
| 2019 | 56.27% | 4.96% | 28.85% | 7.00% |
| 2020 | 54.47% | 4.70% | 28.61% | 7.82% |
| 2021 | 52.45% | 4.46% | 29.92% | 8.20% |
Software developer wage gap by race
According to our data, asian software developers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american software developers have the lowest average salary at $82,814.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $86,250 |
| White | $86,007 |
| Black or African American | $82,814 |
| Asian | $89,696 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $83,873 |
Average software developer age
See how the average age of software developers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Software developer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 37 | 46 |
| Unknown | 37 | 34 |
| Asian | 38 | 37 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 36 | 34 |
| White | 39 | 40 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 41 |
Software developer age breakdown
The average age of software developers is 40+ years years old, representing 45% of the software developer population.
Software developer age breakdown
| Software Developer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 45% |
| 30-40 years | 36% |
| 20-30 years | 18% |
Software developer educational attainment
The most common degree for software developers is bachelor's degree, with 72% of software developers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 20% and master's degree degree at 5%.
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 5%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
Software developers by degree level
| Software developer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 72% |
| Master's | 20% |
| Associate | 5% |
| Diploma | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 1% |
Software developer jobs you might like
Software developer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, software developers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $99,206 annually. With a Master's degree, software developers earn a median annual income of $92,617 compared to $86,035 for software developers with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $92,617 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $86,035 |
| Doctorate Degree | $99,206 |
Software developer employment statistics
Most software developers work for a private in the technology industry.
Company size where software developers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where software developers work.
Software developer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 3% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 19% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 30% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 17% |
| > 10,000 employees | 22% |
Software developer jobs by company type
Employees with the software developer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most software developers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Software developer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 2% |
| Public | 24% |
| Private | 75% |
Software developer jobs by industry
The most common industries for software developers are technology, professional and finance.
Software developer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Technology | 56% |
| Fortune 500 | 10% |
| Professional | 10% |
| Finance | 4% |
| Internet | 3% |
| Telecommunication | 3% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Manufacturing | 2% |
| Media | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Health Care | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Education | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
Software developer turnover and employment statistics
Software developer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for software developers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Software developer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Software developer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 4.56% |
| 2011 | 3.25% |
| 2012 | 2.64% |
| 2013 | 2.67% |
| 2014 | 2.07% |
| 2015 | 2.26% |
| 2016 | 2.33% |
| 2017 | 2.17% |
| 2018 | 1.80% |
| 2019 | 1.88% |
| 2020 | 2.40% |
| 2021 | 2.07% |
Average software developer tenure
The average software developer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 49,913 software developers resumes in Zippia's database.
Software developer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 30% |
| 1-2 years | 40% |
| 3-4 years | 11% |
| 5-7 years | 11% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 5% |
Software developer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of software developers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Communications Systems Engineer | 7.31% | 105,092 |
| Senior Consultant, Professional Services | 8.42% | 146,352 |
| Software Developer | 8.46% | - |
| Cryptologist | 8.59% | 1,469 |
| Computer Systems Engineer | 9.03% | 149,045 |
| Quality Assurance Specialist | 10.54% | 83,505 |
| Information Technology Internship | 10.88% | 147,638 |
Similar software developer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Communications Systems Engineer | 7.31% | 105,092 |
| Senior Consultant, Professional Services | 8.42% | 146,352 |
| Cryptologist | 8.59% | 1,469 |
| Computer Systems Engineer | 9.03% | 149,045 |
| Quality Assurance Specialist | 10.54% | 83,505 |
| Information Technology Internship | 10.88% | 147,638 |
Foreign languages spoken by software developers
The most common foreign language among software developers is Spanish at 31.5%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 11.4% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 7.6%.
- Spanish, 31.5%
- French, 11.4%
- Chinese, 7.6%
- German, 7.1%
- Japanese, 5.4%
- Other, 37.0%
Software developer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 31.5% |
| French | 11.4% |
| Chinese | 7.6% |
| German | 7.1% |
| Japanese | 5.4% |
| Other | 37.0% |
