Computer Programmers
Computer Programmers earn an average annual salary of $123,323, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. While facing some shifts, the field is adapting to changes in the job market. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Computer Programmers workforce.
Employment Over Time
14,720 Workforce in 2023
The Computer Programmers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Computer Programmers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$123,323 Average Wage
In 2023, Computer Programmers earned an average of $123,323.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Computer Programmers.
Salary distribution for Computer Programmers.
Employment Growth Projections
-9.9% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
34,084 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -40.5%
20,282 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -64.6%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Computer Programmers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Computer Programmers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Computer Programmers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Computer Programmers.
Wage Trends by Industry
4.1% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Computer Programmers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Computer Programmers.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 13,690 employees, $123,523 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Computer Programmers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 3,170 employees, $107,819 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 2,060 employees, $136,139 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 1,800 employees, $129,784 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 1,610 employees, $132,057 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 1,570 employees, $107,127 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 1,440 employees, $163,455 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 620 employees, $121,474 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 380 employees, $96,904 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 230 employees, $84,670 avg wage
- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA: 140 employees, $108,737 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Computer Programmers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Computer Programmers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Computer Programmers in 2023 was 14,720 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Computer Programmers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Computer Programmers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Computer Programmers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Computer Programmers in 2023 were Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering.
Common majors for Computer Programmers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Computer Programmers workers.
Education level distribution for Computer Programmers.
Skills
Computer Programmers need many skills, but most especially Programming, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Quality Control Analysis.
Required skills for Computer Programmers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Computer Programmers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Computer Programmers include Computers and Electronics, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology, English Language, Customer and Personal Service.
Knowledge areas required for Computer Programmers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Computer Programmers include Written Comprehension, Oral Comprehension, Near Vision, Inductive Reasoning, Deductive Reasoning.
Required abilities for Computer Programmers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Computer Programmers.
Daily Activities
Computer Programmers spend their time on activities such as Working with Computers, Processing Information, Analyzing Data or Information, Getting Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems.
Most important work activities for Computer Programmers.
About
Computer Programmers
The average yearly wage for Computer Programmers was $123,323 in 2023.
SOC Code
15-1251 - Computer Programmers
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Computer Programmers reports an average salary of $123,323, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 14,720 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -9.9%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.