Software Programmer Demographics and Statistics In The US
Research Summary. Using a database of 30 million profiles, Zippia estimates demographics and statistics for software programmers in the United States. Our estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- There are over 184,090 software programmers currently employed in the United States.
- 28.7% of all software programmers are women, while 71.3% are men.
- The average age of an employed software programmer is 47 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of software programmers is White (58.8%), followed by Asian (25.2%), Hispanic or Latino (7.2%) and Unknown (4.4%).
- Software programmers are most in-demand in Milwaukee, WI.
- San Francisco, CA pays an annual average wage of $90,884, the highest in the US.
- In 2021, women earned 94% of what men earned.
- Washington is the best state for software programmers to live.
- Software programmers are 74% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
Software Programmer Statistics By Gender
28.7% of software programmers are women and 71.3% of software programmers are men.
- Male, 71.3%
- Female, 28.7%
Software Programmers By Gender
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 71.3% |
| Female | 28.7% |
Gender Pay Gap For Software Programmer
Women Earn 94ยข For Every $1 Earned By Men
Software Programmer Gender Over Time
This data shows how men and women predominate in the software programmer position over time.
Software Programmer Gender By Year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 65.90% | 34.10% |
| 2011 | 65.85% | 34.15% |
| 2012 | 66.57% | 33.43% |
| 2013 | 69.06% | 30.94% |
| 2014 | 68.46% | 31.54% |
| 2015 | 67.52% | 32.48% |
| 2016 | 68.47% | 31.53% |
| 2017 | 68.77% | 31.23% |
| 2018 | 67.99% | 32.01% |
| 2019 | 68.67% | 31.33% |
| 2020 | 70.46% | 29.54% |
| 2021 | 71.29% | 28.71% |
Software Programmer Male to Female Ratio
We compared this job title with other job titles to see how gender percentages varied. As you can see, dell certified systems expert and software applications architect have the biggest difference in gender.
| Job Title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Informatics Nurse Specialist | 13% | 87% |
| Clinical Support Specialist | 22% | 78% |
| Clinic Administrator | 23% | 77% |
| Software Programmer | 71% | 29% |
| Senior Data Center Engineer | 98% | 2% |
| Software Applications Architect | 98% | 2% |
| Dell Certified Systems Expert | 99% | 1% |
Software Programmer Statistics By Race
The most common ethnicity among software programmers is White, which makes up 58.8% of all software programmers. Comparatively, there are 25.2% of the Asian ethnicity and 7.2% of the Hispanic or Latino ethnicity.
- White, 58.8%
- Asian, 25.2%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.2%
- Unknown, 4.4%
- Black or African American, 4.1%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
Software Programmer Race
| Software Programmer Race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 58.8% |
| Asian | 25.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.2% |
| Unknown | 4.4% |
| Black or African American | 4.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Software Programmer Race And Ethnicity Over Time
Using the Census Bureau data, we found out how the percentage of each ethnic category trended between 2010-2019 among software programmers.
- White
- Asian
- Hispanic or Latino
- Black or African American
Software Programmer Race By Year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 64.22% | 3.88% | 24.89% | 5.02% |
| 2011 | 64.81% | 4.06% | 23.94% | 5.36% |
| 2012 | 64.51% | 4.00% | 23.89% | 5.53% |
| 2013 | 63.59% | 4.29% | 24.36% | 5.41% |
| 2014 | 63.40% | 3.74% | 25.44% | 5.17% |
| 2015 | 61.74% | 4.15% | 26.40% | 5.36% |
| 2016 | 60.67% | 4.26% | 26.77% | 6.03% |
| 2017 | 60.97% | 3.51% | 26.30% | 7.03% |
| 2018 | 61.90% | 3.94% | 26.16% | 5.75% |
| 2019 | 62.13% | 3.62% | 25.45% | 6.41% |
| 2020 | 58.85% | 4.23% | 25.27% | 6.88% |
| 2021 | 58.84% | 4.10% | 25.24% | 7.23% |
Software Programmer Wage Gap By Race
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $70,309 |
| White | $71,452 |
| Black or African American | $69,972 |
| Asian | $74,589 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $70,195 |
Software Programmer JOBS
Average Age of a Software Programmer
We determined the average age of software programmers based on ethnicity and gender.
Software Programmer Age By Race
| Race | Male Age | Female Age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 45.5 | 52 |
| White | 49 | 51 |
| Black or African American | 43 | 42 |
| Asian | 45.5 | 47 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 42 | 41 |
Software Programmer Age Breakdown
This chart breaks down the ages of software programmer employees. Interestingly enough, the average age of software programmers is 40+ years old, which represents 72% of the population.
Software Programmer Age
| Software Programmer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 72% |
| 30-40 years | 21% |
| 20-30 years | 7% |
Types of Software Programmer Degree Levels
The most common degree for software programmers is bachelor's degree 69% of software programmers earn that degree. A close second is master's degree with 20% and rounding it off is associate degree with 5%.
- Bachelors, 69%
- Masters, 20%
- Associate, 5%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 2%
Software Programmers By Education
| Software Programmer Degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelors | 69% |
| Masters | 20% |
| Associate | 5% |
| Diploma | 4% |
| Other Degrees | 2% |
Software Programmer Jobs You Might Like
Software Programmer Wage Gap By Education
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $76,000 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $73,546 |
| Doctorate Degree | $77,539 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $66,477 |
Software Programmer Employment Statistics
This section highlights information about where software programmers work. We found most software programmers work for a private company. In addition, the industry that employs the most software programmers is the technology industry.
Company Size
We created this chart to show you the average size of companies that typically hire software programmers.
Software Programmer Jobs By Employer Size
| Company Size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 7% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 23% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 29% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 5% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 10% |
| > 10,000 employees | 25% |
The Types Of Companies Software Programmer Work In
Employees with the software programmer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most software programmers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Software Programmer Jobs By Sector
| Company Type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 1% |
| Public | 23% |
| Private | 74% |
| Government | 1% |
Top Industries Hiring Software Programmers
Just based on the number of employees within each industry, we were able to determine the most common industries that employ software programmers. Those industries include technology, professional and finance.
Software Programmer Industry Statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Technology | 47% |
| Fortune 500 | 12% |
| Professional | 10% |
| Finance | 7% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Health Care | 3% |
| Telecommunication | 3% |
| Internet | 2% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Government | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
| Education | 1% |
Software Programmer Turnover And Employment Statistics
Software Programmer Unemployment Rate Over Time
The Bureau of Labor Statistics came in clutch when it came down to figuring out how the unemployment rate has changed over time. Between 2008 and 2018, this is how the number of software programmers changed.
- Unemployment rate
Software Programmer Unemployment Rate By Year
| Year | Software Programmer Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 5.66% |
| 2011 | 4.88% |
| 2012 | 4.01% |
| 2013 | 3.44% |
| 2014 | 3.52% |
| 2015 | 2.74% |
| 2016 | 2.92% |
| 2017 | 3.10% |
| 2018 | 2.78% |
| 2019 | 3.35% |
| 2020 | 3.32% |
| 2021 | 3.49% |
The Average Number of Years That Software Programmer Stay in a Job
By looking over 2,759 software programmers resumes, we figured out that the average software programmer enjoys staying at their job for 1-2 years for a percentage of 47%.
Software Programmer Tenure
| Number or Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 30% |
| 1-2 years | 47% |
| 3-4 years | 10% |
| 5-7 years | 7% |
| 8-10 years | 2% |
| 11+ years | 3% |
Comparing The LGBT Ratio of Software Programmers with Other Job Titles
After finding the gender ratio, we wondered if the percentages of LGBT persons were different as well. Using the data below, you can see how other job titles compare to software programmers.
| Job Title | LGBT | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Coordinator | 7.31% | 8,006 |
| Data Warehousing Engineer | 8.46% | 209,466 |
| Cyber Security Specialist | 8.59% | 65,235 |
| Senior Information Systems Engineer | 9.03% | 168,069 |
| Quality Assurance Coordinator | 10.54% | 79,427 |
| Software Programmer | 10.69% | - |
| Information Systems Specialist | 10.88% | 164,042 |
Software Programmer LGBT Demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Coordinator | 7.31% | 8,006 |
| Data Warehousing Engineer | 8.46% | 209,466 |
| Cyber Security Specialist | 8.59% | 65,235 |
| Senior Information Systems Engineer | 9.03% | 168,069 |
| Quality Assurance Coordinator | 10.54% | 79,427 |
| Information Systems Specialist | 10.88% | 164,042 |
Foreign Languages Spoken By Software Programmers
The most common foreign language among software programmers is Spanish at 28.1%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 9.4% and Korean is the third-most popular at 9.4%.
- Spanish, 28.1%
- French, 9.4%
- Korean, 9.4%
- Hindi, 7.8%
- Chinese, 6.3%
- Other, 39.0%
Software Programmer Languages Spoken
| Foreign Language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 28.1% |
| French | 9.4% |
| Korean | 9.4% |
| Hindi | 7.8% |
| Chinese | 6.3% |
| Other | 39.0% |
Software Programmer Jobs
Recently Added Software Programmer Jobs
Software Programmer Heatmaps
Where Do Software Programmers Earn The Most?
Software programmers earn the most in Washington, where the average software programmer salary is $87,923. The map here shows where software programmers earn the highest salaries in the U.S. The darker areas across the 50 states highlight the highest salaries.
Which State Has The Most Software Programmers?
By looking through more than 2,759 resumes, we found that the most popular places for software programmers are New York, NY and Houston, TX.
Number Of Software Programmer Jobs By State
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 9,256 | $84,716 |
| 2 | Texas | 4,791 | $70,188 |
| 3 | Virginia | 3,499 | $73,939 |
| 4 | New York | 2,891 | $73,592 |
| 5 | Florida | 2,845 | $66,622 |
| 6 | Illinois | 2,618 | $70,380 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 2,551 | $72,357 |
| 8 | Washington | 2,499 | $87,923 |
| 9 | Maryland | 2,484 | $75,392 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | 2,366 | $74,368 |
| 11 | New Jersey | 2,129 | $70,157 |
| 12 | North Carolina | 2,049 | $71,130 |
| 13 | Georgia | 1,915 | $68,831 |
| 14 | Ohio | 1,781 | $69,274 |
| 15 | Michigan | 1,414 | $66,641 |
| 16 | Colorado | 1,362 | $69,110 |
| 17 | Oregon | 1,355 | $79,522 |
| 18 | Indiana | 1,353 | $71,075 |
| 19 | Missouri | 1,298 | $65,542 |
| 20 | Minnesota | 1,279 | $73,459 |
| 21 | Arizona | 1,206 | $75,152 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | 1,198 | $67,821 |
| 23 | Tennessee | 1,050 | $70,279 |
| 24 | Utah | 953 | $69,971 |
| 25 | Kansas | 807 | $67,672 |
| 26 | Alabama | 734 | $60,875 |
| 27 | District of Columbia | 700 | $81,107 |
| 28 | Kentucky | 696 | $68,354 |
| 29 | Connecticut | 695 | $73,644 |
| 30 | South Carolina | 670 | $74,097 |
| 31 | Arkansas | 649 | $64,132 |
| 32 | Iowa | 590 | $67,610 |
| 33 | Louisiana | 544 | $66,654 |
| 34 | New Mexico | 522 | $60,152 |
| 35 | Nebraska | 456 | $65,522 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | 455 | $67,704 |
| 37 | Rhode Island | 430 | $65,972 |
| 38 | Delaware | 407 | $75,244 |
| 39 | Idaho | 380 | $72,829 |
| 40 | Nevada | 373 | $75,433 |
| 41 | New Hampshire | 373 | $65,784 |
| 42 | Mississippi | 298 | $68,495 |
| 43 | Montana | 287 | $59,188 |
| 44 | West Virginia | 284 | $62,181 |
| 45 | Maine | 233 | $70,797 |
| 46 | Vermont | 226 | $71,920 |
| 47 | North Dakota | 179 | $71,209 |
| 48 | South Dakota | 171 | $68,367 |
| 49 | Alaska | 143 | $71,685 |
| 50 | Hawaii | 143 | $68,235 |
| 51 | Wyoming | 138 | $61,135 |
Where Are Software Programmers In High Demand?
Software programmers are in high demand in Milwaukee, WI. There are currently 4 job openings for software programmers here. We looked over job openings to determine where in the country software programmers are in the most demand.
