SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Create, modify, and test the code and scripts that allow computer applications to run. Work from specifications drawn up by software and web developers or other individuals. May develop and write computer programs to store, locate, and retrieve specific documents, data, and information.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 15-1251.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $57,710 | $4,809 | $1,110 | $27.74 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $75,850 | $6,321 | $1,459 | $36.47 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $100,390 | $8,366 | $1,931 | $48.26 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $130,680 | $10,890 | $2,513 | $62.83 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $160,460 | $13,372 | $3,086 | $77.15 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Computer Programmers is $100,390, which is 97% higher. Among the 21 occupations of the field Computer and Mathematical, it ranks number 15 by median pay. With 92,230 jobs, it makes up about 5.9 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Computer Programmers pay by state
The highest median pay was in Connecticut ($133,820), Massachusetts ($128,390) and Washington ($125,620). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($51,310), South Dakota ($58,240) and West Virginia ($65,320). The most jobs were in California (11,340), Texas (7,620) and New York (7,020). The occupation is most concentrated in Alaska, where its share of all jobs is 2.8 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 1,650 | $133,820 | $121,270 | $64.34 |
| Massachusetts | 1,930 | $128,390 | $127,520 | $61.73 |
| Washington | 2,540 | $125,620 | $126,540 | $60.39 |
| Maryland | 2,490 | $125,570 | $117,210 | $60.37 |
| Virginia | 3,070 | $121,610 | $122,060 | $58.47 |
| Hawaii | 450 | $118,180 | $111,530 | $56.82 |
| California | 11,340 | $116,760 | $119,900 | $56.13 |
| Arkansas | 1,050 | $111,840 | $112,070 | $53.77 |
| Minnesota | 2,070 | $107,250 | $100,530 | $51.56 |
| New Jersey | 3,930 | $104,940 | $114,950 | $50.45 |
| Utah | 690 | $104,890 | $103,490 | $50.43 |
| Colorado | 930 | $104,610 | $119,260 | $50.29 |
| New York | 7,020 | $103,980 | $115,900 | $49.99 |
| Maine | 450 | $101,780 | $117,430 | $48.93 |
| Oklahoma | 990 | $99,780 | $119,380 | $47.97 |
| South Carolina | 790 | $99,740 | $100,720 | $47.95 |
| Oregon | 1,370 | $99,540 | $110,390 | $47.85 |
| Texas | 7,620 | $99,330 | $100,740 | $47.76 |
| Georgia | 1,890 | $98,380 | $101,520 | $47.30 |
| Indiana | 1,520 | $97,000 | $98,340 | $46.64 |
| Rhode Island | 250 | $96,470 | $105,300 | $46.38 |
| Nebraska | 1,090 | $95,150 | $99,020 | $45.75 |
| Kentucky | 950 | $94,850 | $101,200 | $45.60 |
| Alabama | 890 | $93,800 | $96,410 | $45.10 |
| Nevada | 840 | $93,600 | $102,130 | $45.00 |
| Florida | 4,760 | $93,180 | $96,940 | $44.80 |
| Kansas | 460 | $92,960 | $99,410 | $44.69 |
| North Dakota | 190 | $92,280 | $97,550 | $44.37 |
| Alaska | 530 | $91,700 | $98,240 | $44.09 |
| Missouri | 1,520 | $90,420 | $91,390 | $43.47 |
| Montana | not published | $89,920 | $91,670 | $43.23 |
| Vermont | 170 | $89,560 | $88,720 | $43.06 |
| Pennsylvania | 3,120 | $89,180 | $95,820 | $42.87 |
| Idaho | not published | $89,020 | $90,990 | $42.80 |
| Arizona | 1,560 | $88,990 | $102,710 | $42.78 |
| Ohio | 2,100 | $85,270 | $93,010 | $41.00 |
| Mississippi | 1,170 | $85,120 | $75,920 | $40.92 |
| New Mexico | 600 | $83,750 | $91,280 | $40.26 |
| Wyoming | 60 | $81,640 | $88,620 | $39.25 |
| North Carolina | 4,120 | $81,070 | $81,740 | $38.98 |
| Iowa | 950 | $79,180 | $87,010 | $38.07 |
| New Hampshire | not published | $74,000 | $79,720 | $35.58 |
| Illinois | 1,280 | $72,540 | $87,660 | $34.88 |
| Michigan | 4,400 | $65,860 | $77,870 | $31.67 |
| West Virginia | 140 | $65,320 | $75,360 | $31.40 |
| South Dakota | 70 | $58,240 | $67,940 | $28.00 |
| Puerto Rico | 920 | $51,310 | $57,480 | $24.67 |
| Delaware | 450 | not published | not published | not published |
| District of Columbia | 230 | not published | not published | not published |
| Louisiana | 1,580 | not published | not published | not published |
| Tennessee | 920 | not published | not published | not published |
| Wisconsin | 3,080 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Database Administrators$104,620 a year
- Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers$104,300 a year
- Web and Digital Interface Designers$104,000 a year
- Network and Computer Systems Administrators$99,130 a year
- Web Developers$92,650 a year
- Operations Research Analysts$88,940 a year
Common questions
How much do Computer Programmers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $100,390 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $57,710 and the highest-paid 10% more than $160,460.
How many people work as Computer Programmers?
About 92,230 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.