Software Developers Salary: $190,798 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 1,654,440 software developers nationally earn a mean of $190,798. Projections imply about 7.9% annual growth; much hiring sits in professional, scientific, and technical services.
Key Statistics
Software Developers: what the data shows
Common questions about software developers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a software developers?
Software Developers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 15-1252.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 1,654,440 workers.
What does a software developers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Working with Computers, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Processing Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Analyzing Data or Information, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a software developers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $133,080 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $190,798 — 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 | $106,775 |
| 25th percentile | $138,484 |
| Median (50th) | $175,555 |
| 75th percentile | $218,049 |
What education do you need?
For Software Developers, 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 Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Active Listening, Writing, Monitoring, and knowledge areas including Computers and Electronics, English Language, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is software developers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 7.9% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 45.9%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 113.0%.
Current U.S. headcount: 1,654,440.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do software developerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 1,654,440 | 19.4% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 1,623,570 | 19.0% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 690,860 | 8.1% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 690,860 | 8.1% |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | 519,920 | 6.1% |
| Information | 330,980 | 3.9% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Software Developers 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineers | 355,410 | $99,590 |
| Materials Engineers | 22,770 | $108,310 |
| Mechanical Engineers | 286,760 | $102,320 |
| Electrical Engineers | 188,790 | $111,910 |
| Aerospace Engineers | 68,440 | $134,830 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 497,800 | $103,790 |
| Information Security Analysts | 179,430 | $124,910 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Software Developers workforce.
Employment Over Time
1,654,440 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.
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: 292,630 employees, $185,750 avg wage
- TX: 151,460 employees, $133,280 avg wage
- NY: 104,130 employees, $159,990 avg wage
- WA: 91,470 employees, $175,600 avg wage
- VA: 83,290 employees, $142,230 avg wage
- FL: 82,610 employees, $128,290 avg wage
- NC: 57,590 employees, $131,780 avg wage
- NJ: 57,120 employees, $140,520 avg wage
- IL: 54,490 employees, $127,030 avg wage
- MA: 54,260 employees, $153,650 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Software Developers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 119,610 employees, $161,090 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: 90,280 employees, $226,510 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 76,900 employees, $187,840 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 72,730 employees, $181,040 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 68,210 employees, $151,000 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 63,430 employees, $135,190 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 54,650 employees, $157,390 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 48,200 employees, $154,840 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 41,320 employees, $130,930 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 35,900 employees, $130,920 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 1,654,440 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 Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Active Listening, Writing.
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 Computers and Electronics, English Language, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology, Design.
Knowledge areas required for Software Developers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Software Developers include Problem Sensitivity, Oral Expression, Inductive Reasoning, Written Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning.
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 Working with Computers, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Processing Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge.
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 1,654,440 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.