Software Developer Pay in the US: Official Data and How to Compare Offers
US government percentiles for software and IT occupations, a state-by-state comparison, and how base, bonus and equity fit together in an offer.
Published by SalaryBases. Drafted with AI assistance and revised to remove or reword figures we could not trace to a source. Not reviewed by a licensed professional. Pay figures come only from the official datasets named beside each table and apply only to the country, year and definition stated there. Methodology
This guide covers the United States only, because that is where we have official data we can cite. We do not publish figures for other countries: the international numbers that circulate online usually come from self-reported surveys we cannot verify.
What US government data shows
| Occupation (SOC) | 10th pct. | Median | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers (15-1252) | $82,460 | $135,980 | $214,670 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers (15-1253) | $61,440 | $104,300 | $167,010 |
| Web and Digital Interface Designers (15-1255) | $53,750 | $104,000 | $201,550 |
| Computer Systems Analysts (15-1211) | $67,340 | $105,850 | $167,710 |
| Computer Network Architects (15-1241) | $79,900 | $134,050 | $202,680 |
| Information Security Analysts (15-1212) | $75,090 | $129,180 | $199,850 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Scope: United States, national estimates, all industries, annual wages in US dollars (retrieved 9 October 2026). The median is the middle wage: half of the workers in the occupation earn more and half earn less; 10th/90th percentile mean 10% earn less/more. The survey covers wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments and excludes the self-employed, overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, equity and employer benefit costs. BLS methodology.
For software developers the 10th percentile is $82,460, the median $135,980 and the 90th percentile $214,670. The range inside a single occupation is therefore more than 2.5 times the lower figure. That is the single most useful fact in the table: a title alone does not determine pay.
The other rows show where similar work sits. Computer network architects ($134,050 median) and information security analysts ($129,180) are close to software developers, while software quality assurance analysts and testers ($104,300) and web and digital interface designers ($104,000) have lower medians.
The same job, different states
| State | Median |
|---|---|
| California | $174,410 |
| Washington | $166,540 |
| New York | $166,180 |
| Massachusetts | $165,210 |
| Colorado | $138,390 |
| Texas | $132,150 |
| Georgia | $131,010 |
| Florida | $130,980 |
| Ohio | $114,090 |
| Mississippi | $95,330 |
| United States (national) | $135,980 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, state estimates, all industries (retrieved 9 October 2026). The ten states are a convenience selection, not a ranking of all states. State values do not adjust for cost of living. BLS state tables.
State medians for software developers run from $95,330 in Mississippi to $174,410 in California, against a national median of $135,980. California is about 28 percent above the national figure and Mississippi about 30 percent below. These are unadjusted cash wages: they do not take local housing or tax costs into account. Use the Cost of Living Comparison before concluding that a higher wage means more money in your pocket.
The ten states shown are a convenience selection, not a ranking of all fifty.
Total compensation, not just base pay
At many technology employers, base salary is one part of the package:
- Bonus: an annual payment, often expressed as a percentage of base.
- Equity: restricted stock units (RSUs) that vest over time, or options to buy shares at a set price.
- Sign-on: a one-off cash or equity payment.
Official wage data does not include equity and excludes nonproduction bonuses, so it can understate total pay at those employers. A hypothetical example: a $120,000 base with a $200,000 grant vesting evenly over four years works out at $120,000 + $50,000 = $170,000 per year if the share price stays flat. That example is arithmetic, not a market figure. For the mechanics, see negotiating equity and stock options.
What the data leaves out
- Self-employed contractors and founders are not in the survey.
- Freelance rates and day rates are not comparable to annual wages.
- The figures are a national average of establishments; a specific employer may pay well above or below.
- Job titles differ between companies, so map your role to the closest official occupation before comparing.
Comparing an offer
Take the percentile range for the occupation closest to your job, position yourself inside it using your experience, then compare the whole package rather than the base. The Job Offer Comparator does the arithmetic, and Salary Negotiation: The Complete Guide covers the conversation. The Salary Simulator will also give you a model-based estimate, which is not an official statistic: see the methodology.
Key takeaways
- Software developers in the US: 10th percentile $82,460, median $135,980, 90th percentile $214,670.
- State medians range from $95,330 to $174,410 for the same occupation, before cost of living.
- Equity and nonproduction bonuses are outside these figures, so they can understate total pay.
- No US figure is a statement about pay in another country.
Sources used in this guide
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025: methodology and tables — Every wage figure in the tables above (each row links to its own BLS occupation profile).
- BLS OEWS May 2025: technical notes (what the wage figures include and exclude) — Scope of BLS wage figures: wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments; excludes the self-employed, overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.