Software Developers
Software Developers earn an average annual salary of $190,798, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only. The field combines competitive compensation with strong employment opportunities, making it an attractive career path.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Software Developers workforce.
Employment Over Time
292,630 Workforce in 2023
The Software Developers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Software Developers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$190,798 Average Wage
In 2023, Software Developers earned an average of $190,798.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Software Developers.
Salary distribution for Software Developers.
Employment Growth Projections
7.9% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
1,626,913 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 45.9%
2,374,278 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 113.0%
This occupation is projected to grow at 7.9% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Software Developers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Software Developers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Software Developers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Software Developers.
Wage Trends by Industry
13.0% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Software Developers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Software Developers.
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: 263,650 employees, $194,504 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Software Developers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 90,280 employees, $232,666 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 55,310 employees, $197,925 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 36,070 employees, $165,980 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 21,080 employees, $162,150 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 20,460 employees, $180,723 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 18,580 employees, $153,302 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 7,410 employees, $153,399 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 4,340 employees, $144,668 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 2,420 employees, $179,931 avg wage
- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA: 2,030 employees, $165,293 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Software Developers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Software Developers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Software Developers in 2023 was 292,630 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Software Developers.
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 Software Developers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Software Developers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Software Developers in 2023 were Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology.
Common majors for Software Developers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Software Developers workers.
Education level distribution for Software Developers.
Skills
Software Developers need many skills, but most especially .
Required skills for Software Developers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Software Developers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Software Developers include .
Knowledge areas required for Software Developers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Software Developers include .
Required abilities for Software Developers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Software Developers.
Daily Activities
Software Developers spend their time on activities such as .
Most important work activities for Software Developers.
About
Software Developers
The average yearly wage for Software Developers was $190,798 in 2023.
SOC Code
15-1252 - Software Developers
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Software Developers reports an average salary of $190,798, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 292,630 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 7.9%, 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.