Computer Programmers Salary: $123,323 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 109,870 computer programmers nationally earn a mean of $123,323. Employment in the series shown fell about 29% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 9.9% annual decline.
Key Statistics
Computer Programmers: what the data shows
Common questions about computer programmers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a computer programmers?
Computer Programmers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 15-1251.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 109,870 workers.
What does a computer programmers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Working with Computers, Processing Information, Analyzing Data or Information, Getting Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Thinking Creatively, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a computer programmers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $98,670 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $123,323 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $67,290 |
| 25th percentile | $84,259 |
| Median (50th) | $119,379 |
| 75th percentile | $155,073 |
| 90th percentile | $181,800 |
What education do you need?
For Computer Programmers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Programming, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Quality Control Analysis, Systems Analysis, and knowledge areas including Computers and Electronics, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology, English Language. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is computer programmers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 9.9% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -40.5%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -64.6%.
Current U.S. headcount: 109,870.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do computer programmerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 109,870 | 18.8% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 93,990 | 16.0% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 49,490 | 8.4% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 49,490 | 8.4% |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | 37,700 | 6.4% |
| Educational Services | 18,590 | 3.2% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Computer Programmers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Systems Analysts | 497,800 | $103,790 |
| Information Security Analysts | 179,430 | $124,910 |
| Computer Network Architects | 177,010 | $130,390 |
| Web Developers | 200,000 | — |
| Software Developers | 1,654,440 | $133,080 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analysts | 199,800 | $102,610 |
| Computer User Support Specialists | 146,450 | $73,340 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Computer Programmers workforce.
Employment Over Time
109,870 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.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 14,720 employees, $120,060 avg wage
- TX: 11,220 employees, $91,560 avg wage
- NY: 7,090 employees, $108,910 avg wage
- MI: 5,350 employees, $72,480 avg wage
- FL: 4,700 employees, $102,550 avg wage
- VA: 4,210 employees, $113,730 avg wage
- AZ: 4,170 employees, $79,220 avg wage
- PA: 4,130 employees, $89,210 avg wage
- NJ: 4,000 employees, $112,930 avg wage
- NC: 3,880 employees, $92,590 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Computer Programmers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 6,510 employees, $122,110 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 4,750 employees, $104,740 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 4,090 employees, $112,670 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 3,780 employees, $130,490 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 3,620 employees, $99,170 avg wage
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 2,830 employees, $84,260 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 2,610 employees, $120,290 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 2,130 employees, $97,290 avg wage
- Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI: 2,040 employees, $81,270 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: 1,800 employees, $126,350 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 109,870 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 109,870 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.