State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Software Developer Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Software Developers earn a median of $135,980 per year ($65.38/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 15.8% through 2034, with about 115,200 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 15-1252Computer and MathematicalLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $135,980
- Projected growth
- +15.8%
- Openings a year
- 115,200
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Application Developer, Application Integration Engineer, Developer, DevOps Engineer (Development Operations Engineer), Infrastructure Engineer, Software Architect.
How much do Software Developers make?
10th percentile$82,460
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$105,210
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$135,980
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$171,980
Upper quartile
90th percentile$214,670
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $135,980 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $65.38/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $148,100 |
| People employed | 1,687,890 |
Versus all US occupations
At $135,980, Software Developers earn 167% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $85,000 a year.
Versus computer and mathematical occupations
Inside the Computer and Mathematical group, where the middle occupation pays $116,580, this is 17% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $214,670 or more while the bottom 10% earn $82,460, a gap of 2.6×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 93% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
California pays the most at $174,410, and still leads at $157,523 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Software Developers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $174,410 | $157,523 | 284,390 |
| Washington | $166,540 | $155,626 | 107,030 |
| New York | $166,180 | $153,983 | 113,510 |
| Massachusetts | $165,210 | $156,217 | 48,190 |
| Oregon | $142,720 | $138,079 | 21,830 |
| New Hampshire | $139,720 | $134,133 | 10,840 |
| Maryland | $138,680 | $132,128 | 31,350 |
| Colorado | $138,390 | $134,291 | 43,320 |
| District of Columbia | $136,880 | $124,548 | 6,120 |
| Virginia | $136,460 | $134,970 | 88,280 |
Is Software Developer a growing career?
Software Developers15.8%
All US occupations3.1%
+15.8% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Software Developers to change 15.8% over 2024–2034, roughly 5.1× the 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 267,700 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 115,200 openings are projected each year, 6.8% of the 1,693,800 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers is projected to grow 15 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Demand for software developers, software quality assurance analysts, and testers is projected to be strong due to the continued expansion of software development for artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, and other automation applications.
In response to concerns over threats to computer security, organizations are expected to increase investment in software that protects their electronic networks and infrastructure. This investment could result in an increased demand for developers to create security software and for quality assurance analysts and testers to create and execute software tests.
How to become a Software Developer
Software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers typically need a bachelor’s degree in computer and information technology or a related field. Some employers prefer to hire developers who have a master’s degree.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Medium preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as software developers.
- Bachelor's Degree84.8%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)5.1%
- Master's Degree4.5%
- High School Diploma3.1%
- Post-Secondary Certificate1.7%
What does a Software Developer do?
Research, design, and develop computer and network software or specialized utility programs. Analyze user needs and develop software solutions, applying principles and techniques of computer science, engineering, and mathematical analysis. Update software or enhance existing software capabilities. May work with computer hardware engineers to integrate hardware and software systems, and develop specifications and performance requirements. May maintain databases within an application area, working individually or coordinating database development as part of a team.
Software developers create the computer applications that allow users to do specific tasks and the underlying systems that run the devices or control networks. Software quality assurance analysts and testers design and execute software tests to identify problems and learn how the software works.
Day-to-day tasks
- Analyze information to determine, recommend, and plan installation of a new system or modification of an existing system.
- Confer with systems analysts, engineers, programmers and others to design systems and to obtain information on project limitations and capabilities, performance requirements and interfaces.
- Develop or direct software system testing or validation procedures, programming, or documentation.
- Consult with customers or other departments on project status, proposals, or technical issues, such as software system design or maintenance.
- Modify existing software to correct errors, adapt it to new hardware, or upgrade interfaces and improve performance.
- Analyze user needs and software requirements to determine feasibility of design within time and cost constraints.
- Determine system performance standards.
- Store, retrieve, and manipulate data for analysis of system capabilities and requirements.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where software developers work
| Computer systems design and related services | 30% |
|---|---|
| Finance and insurance | 10% |
| Software publishers | 9% |
| Manufacturing | 8% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 5% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Critical Thinking3.9/5
- Reading Comprehension3.5/5
- Active Learning3.5/5
- Active Listening3.4/5
- Writing3.3/5
- Speaking3.1/5
- Monitoring3.0/5
- Mathematics2.8/5
Transferable skills
- Programming4.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6/5
- Systems Analysis3.5/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.4/5
- Technology Design3.4/5
- Systems Evaluation3.4/5
- Operations Analysis3.3/5
- Time Management3.1/5
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Application server software · in demand
- Business intelligence and data analysis software · in demand
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software · in demand
- Cloud-based management software · in demand
- Configuration management software · in demand
- Content workflow software · in demand
- Customer relationship management CRM software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base reporting software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Data mining software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Software Developer?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary3.6
Investigativeprimary6.0
Artistic2.4
Social1.8
Enterprising1.9
Conventionalprimary5.6
Day to day this is work built around investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Software Developer: frequently asked questions
How much do Software Developers make?
Software Developers earn a median of $135,980 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 167% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $65.38/hr. The middle half earn between $105,210 and $171,980. The top 10% earn $214,670 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Software Developer?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Software Developers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 84.8% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Software Developer a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 15.8% over 2024–2034, more than double the 3.1% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 115,200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Software Developer do?
Software developers create the computer applications that allow users to do specific tasks and the underlying systems that run the devices or control networks. A core O*NET task: analyze information to determine, recommend, and plan installation of a new system or modification of an existing system. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Application server software, Business intelligence and data analysis software.
Which states pay Software Developers the most?
The highest state medians for Software Developers are California ($174,410), Washington ($166,540), New York ($166,180) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Software Developer?
O*NET scores Software Developers highest on the Investigative, Conventional and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, INTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.