What are the main factors that influence a Lead Programmer's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Lead Programmer's salary?

A Lead Programmer's salary grows with experience: an Applications Programmer III (4-7 years)earns $119,713, an Applications Programmer IV (7+ years)earns $140,267, an Lead Programmer (7-10 years)earns $162,989, an Applications Programming Supervisor (10+ years)earns $131,041, an Applications Programming Manager (10+ years)earns $148,290,

What are the highest paying states for a Lead Programmer?

Lead Programmer salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Lead Programmer roles are District of Columbia $181,804, California $181,115, Massachusetts $178,701. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Lead Programmer roles make?

Salaries for Lead Programmer level roles vary by specialization: Lead Programmer Analyst: $169,888; Expert Client/Server Programmer Team Lead: $145,400; Operating Systems Programmer Project Lead: $138,450; Team Lead Web Software Programmer: $137,600; Lead UI Programmer: $135,500.

How do different companies affect a Lead Programmer's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Lead Programmer roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Lead Programmer Salary in the United States

How much does a Lead Programmer make in the United States?

As of March 01, 2026, the average salary for a Lead Programmer in the United States is $164,202 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $79.

However, a Lead Programmer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $195,709
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $149,895 to $180,694
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $136,869

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Lead Programmer Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$180,694	$15,058	$3,475	$87
Average	$164,202	$13,684	$3,158	$79
25th Percentile	$149,895	$12,491	$2,883	$72

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

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Key Factors That Influence Lead Programmer Salaries

A Lead Programmer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Lead Programmer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Lead Programmer's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $119,713
Early Career (1-2 years): $140,267
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $162,989
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $131,041
Expert (over 8 years): $148,290

Levels	Salary
Applicati... Level Lead Programmer	$119,713
Applicati... Level Lead Programmer	$140,267
Lead Prog... Level Lead Programmer	$162,989
Applicati... Level Lead Programmer	$131,041
Applicati... Level Lead Programmer	$148,290

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Lead Programmer Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Lead Programmers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $181,804.
California: $181,115.
Massachusetts: $178,701.

District of Columbia $181,804 California $181,115 Massachusetts $178,701 Washington $178,044 New Jersey $177,979 Alaska $177,749 Connecticut $175,483 New York $174,563

Hawaii $171,624 Rhode Island $170,245 Maryland $169,309 Minnesota $168,028 Colorado $167,535 Illinois $167,371 Oregon $166,747 Delaware $166,287

New Hampshire $165,998 Virginia $165,351 Pennsylvania $163,463 Nevada $162,511 North Dakota $162,199 Michigan $161,706 Wisconsin $161,526 Vermont $161,164

Texas $160,163 Maine $160,097 Arizona $159,998 Ohio $159,883 Georgia $158,373 Indiana $157,617 Wyoming $157,470 Utah $157,240

Iowa $157,141 Kansas $156,353 Louisiana $156,123 North Carolina $156,041 Missouri $156,008 Florida $155,368 Montana $155,023 Nebraska $154,695

Kentucky $154,514 South Carolina $153,857 Tennessee $153,447 Idaho $153,283 New Mexico $152,084 Oklahoma $151,821 Alabama $150,852 South Dakota $149,227

Arkansas $148,340 West Virginia $147,864 Mississippi $146,435

Top Paying Cities for Lead Programmers

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $207,108
San Francisco: $205,072
Oakland: $200,523

San Jose, CA $207,108

San Francisco, CA $205,072

Oakland, CA $200,523

New York, NY $190,294

Queens Village, NY $189,062

Paramus, NJ $187,749

Passaic, NJ $187,584

Bergenfield, NJ $187,420

Stamford, CT $187,174

Huntington, NY $187,010

Newark, NJ $185,942

Bridgeport, CT $185,614

New Brunswick, NJ $185,072

Vallejo, CA $184,727

Middlesex, NJ $184,629

Somerset, NJ $184,481

Petaluma, CA $184,103

Santa Cruz, CA $183,463

Boston, MA $183,134

Monterey, CA $182,313

Fairbanks, AK $182,199

Los Angeles, CA $181,887

Washington, DC $181,804

Seattle, WA $181,509

Santa Rosa, CA $181,476

Juneau, AK $181,000

Orange, CA $180,458

Anchorage, AK $180,162

Anaheim, CA $180,047

Santa Ana, CA $179,801

Nassau, NY $179,703

Long Beach, CA $179,637

Danbury, CT $179,588

Santa Maria, CA $179,029

Everett, WA $178,997

Bremerton, WA $178,192

Trenton, NJ $177,880

Sacramento, CA $177,814

San Diego, CA $177,732

Brockton, MA $177,667

Tacoma, WA $177,601

Santa Barbara, CA $177,371

Lowell, MA $176,714

New Suffolk, NY $176,649

Nashua, NH $176,451

Lompoc, CA $176,189

Ventura, CA $176,025

Stockton, CA $175,975

New Haven, CT $175,647

Atlantic City, NJ $175,220

Hartford, CT $174,859

Modesto, CA $174,777

Poughkeepsie, NY $174,415

New Britain, CT $174,333

Olympia, WA $174,103

Kennewick, WA $174,103

New London, CT $174,071

Norwich, CT $174,021

Lawrence, MA $173,939

Bakersfield, CA $173,479

Riverside, CA $173,250

New Bedford, MA $173,250

Richland, WA $173,085

Portsmouth, NH $172,954

Vineland, NJ $172,921

San Bernardino, CA $172,790

Boulder, CO $172,330

Worcester, MA $172,199

Portland, OR $172,051

Saint Paul, MN $171,854

Minneapolis, MN $171,854

Philadelphia, PA $171,624

Honolulu, HI $170,754

Springfield, MA $170,179

Providence, RI $170,163

Chicago, IL $169,686

Bellingham, WA $169,489

Baltimore, MD $169,309

Chico, CA $168,898

Wilmington, DE $168,619

Pittsfield, MA $168,455

Manchester, NH $168,143

Spokane, WA $167,420

Denver, CO $167,404

Albany, NY $166,632

Troy, NY $166,567

Schenectady, NY $166,222

Burlington, VT $165,860

Portland, ME $165,286

Salem, OR $165,154

Yakima, WA $165,122

Ann Arbor, MI $165,072

Rochester, MN $164,613

Fresno, CA $164,530

Reno, NV $164,530

Milwaukee, WI $164,383

Detroit, MI $164,218

Allentown, PA $164,169

Carson City, NV $164,153

Houston, TX $163,906

Colorado Springs, CO $163,890

Syracuse, NY $163,808

Eugene, OR $163,496

Bismarck, ND $163,299

Gary, IN $163,299

Galveston, TX $163,299

Springfield, OR $163,168

Medford, OR $162,773

Fort Collins, CO $162,708

Austin, TX $162,576

Mesa, AZ $162,232

Phoenix, AZ $162,199

Dallas, TX $162,149

Reading, PA $162,051

Saint Cloud, MN $161,985

Concord, NH $161,837

Madison, WI $161,772

Utica, NY $161,328

Raleigh, NC $161,197

Las Vegas, NV $161,181

Rochester, NY $161,066

Des Moines, IA $161,049

Atlanta, GA $160,787

Battle Creek, MI $160,737

Salt Lake City, UT $160,688

Lancaster, PA $160,442

Champaign, IL $160,409

Harrisburg, PA $160,212

Durham, NC $160,064

Kansas City, MO $160,048

Kansas City, KS $160,015

Fort Worth, TX $159,998

Boca Raton, FL $159,933

Cleveland, OH $159,916

Columbus, OH $159,883

Pittsburgh, PA $159,867

Richmond, VA $159,801

Indianapolis, IN $159,769

Cincinnati, OH $159,555

Petersburg, VA $159,309

Billings, MT $158,948

Lansing, MI $158,948

Huntsville, AL $158,948

Lebanon, PA $158,931

Dayton, OH $158,915

Pueblo, CO $158,915

Appleton, WI $158,865

Buffalo, NY $158,800

Racine, WI $158,718

Charlotte, NC $158,701

Saint Louis, MO $158,652

Springfield, IL $158,586

Elkhart, IN $158,553

York, PA $158,553

Gastonia, NC $158,537

Benton Harbor, MI $158,537

Beaumont, TX $158,439

Lorain, OH $158,406

Toledo, OH $158,340

Binghamton, NY $158,258

Rock Hill, SC $158,241

Rockford, IL $158,159

Fargo, ND $158,077

Elyria, OH $158,077

Flagstaff, AZ $157,962

Fort Lauderdale, FL $157,864

Miami, FL $157,765

Duluth, MN $157,503

Bangor, ME $157,289

Cedar Rapids, IA $157,108

Louisville, KY $157,026

Grand Rapids, MI $156,994

Hialeah, FL $156,977

Casper, WY $156,747

Scranton, PA $156,550

New Orleans, LA $156,501

Virginia Beach, VA $156,485

Akron, OH $156,402

Peoria, IL $156,189

Sarasota, FL $156,156

Green Bay, WI $156,041

Baton Rouge, LA $155,959

Charleston, SC $155,926

Nashville, TN $155,877

Jamestown, NY $155,844

Davenport, IA $155,844

Tucson, AZ $155,762

Cheyenne, WY $155,713

Saint Petersburg, FL $155,663

Tampa, FL $155,631

Omaha, NE $155,598

Port Arthur, TX $155,532

Evansville, IN $155,532

Bradenton, FL $155,466

Santa Fe, NM $155,171

Orlando, FL $155,007

Clearwater, FL $154,826

Canton, OH $154,481

La Crosse, WI $154,481

Grand Forks, ND $154,432

Albuquerque, NM $154,383

Tulsa, OK $154,383

Newport News, VA $154,366

High Point, NC $154,317

Ogden, UT $154,251

Corpus Christi, TX $154,120

Laramie, WY $154,021

Norfolk, VA $154,021

Rock Island, IL $153,923

Saginaw, MI $153,890

Jacksonville, FL $153,874

Salisbury, NC $153,841

Memphis, TN $153,808

Moline, IL $153,726

Fort Myers, FL $153,677

Waterloo, IA $153,463

Spartanburg, SC $153,299

Lincoln, NE $153,217

Fort Wayne, IN $153,184

Birmingham, AL $153,003

Cedar Falls, IA $152,971

Provo, UT $152,954

Springfield, OH $152,938

San Antonio, TX $152,905

Greensboro, NC $152,839

South Bend, IN $152,823

Winston Salem, NC $152,806

Boise, ID $152,757

Savannah, GA $152,642

Muskegon, MI $152,347

Lima, OH $152,150

Lake Charles, LA $152,084

Anderson, IN $152,051

Lexington, KY $152,002

Augusta, GA $151,953

Greenville, SC $151,953

Wichita, KS $151,805

Tuscaloosa, AL $151,805

Columbia, SC $151,657

Bloomington, IN $151,246

Roanoke, VA $151,148

Asheville, NC $150,934

Knoxville, TN $150,655

Shreveport, LA $150,639

Wilmington, NC $150,425

Frankfort, KY $150,113

Oklahoma City, OK $149,999

Chillicothe, OH $149,933

Longview, TX $149,916

Topeka, KS $149,867

Mobile, AL $149,621

Terre Haute, IN $149,555

Erie, PA $149,539

Altoona, PA $149,457

Melbourne, FL $149,407

Amarillo, TX $149,342

Killeen, TX $149,292

Fayetteville, AR $149,161

Sioux Falls, SD $149,046

Chattanooga, TN $148,948

Idaho Falls, ID $148,931

Gainesville, FL $148,586

Portsmouth, OH $148,504

Little Rock, AR $148,471

Lynchburg, VA $148,471

Lafayette, LA $148,406

Youngstown, OH $148,406

Temple, TX $148,340

Daytona Beach, FL $148,307

Clarksville, TN $148,291

Pensacola, FL $148,274

Hopkinsville, KY $147,782

Charleston, WV $147,765

Florence, SC $147,683

Sioux City, IA $147,585

Macon, GA $147,109

Tallahassee, FL $147,092

Fayetteville, NC $147,059

Waco, TX $147,026

Wichita Falls, TX $147,026

Pine Bluff, AR $146,961

Vincennes, IN $146,649

Lubbock, TX $146,583

Great Falls, MT $146,485

Alamogordo, NM $146,468

Abilene, TX $146,337

Rapid City, SD $146,123

Monroe, LA $146,123

Albany, GA $146,025

Huntington, WV $146,008

Jackson, MS $145,992

Greenville, MS $145,976

Parkersburg, WV $145,811

Montgomery, AL $145,779

Johnstown, PA $145,746

Springfield, MO $145,614

Biloxi, MS $145,532

Sumter, SC $145,187

Columbus, GA $145,171

Twin Falls, ID $145,072

Pascagoula, MS $144,859

Kingsport, TN $144,432

Gulfport, MS $144,383

Alexandria, LA $143,841

Fort Smith, AR $143,430

El Paso, TX $142,987

Helena, MT $142,774

Las Cruces, NM $142,248

Harlingen, TX $141,788

Pocatello, ID $141,641

Florence, AL $141,591

Brownsville, TX $141,559

Dothan, AL $141,296

Mcallen, TX $141,214

Columbus, MS $139,999

Altus, OK $139,243

Lawton, OK $138,931

Pierre, SD $138,340

What Skills Can Increase a Lead Programmer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Analysis (Mentioned in 5.15% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Application Development (Mentioned in 3.77% Job Postings): Application development may refer to: Mobile application development ("app development") or the process of developing desktop application software. Mobile app development is the act or process by which a mobile app is developed for mobile devices, such as personal digital assistants, enterprise digital assistants or mobile phones. These applications can be pre-installed on phones during manufacturing platforms, or delivered as web applications using server-side or client-side processing (e.g., JavaScript) to provide an "application-like" experience within a Web browser.
HTML (Mentioned in 2.45% Job Postings): A computer language that used in creating, updating and maintaining text, graphics and links in a website.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Analysis	5.15%
Application Development	3.77%
HTML	2.45%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Lead Programmer's salary.

Consulting: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
UI: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Troubleshooting: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Consulting	$182,264	11%
UI	$178,980	9%
Troubleshooting	$177,338	8%
Leadership	$177,338	8%
Software Development	$177,338	8%
Debugging	$177,338	8%

Get Latest Data

Lead Programmer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Lead Programmer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on March 01, 2026

$149,895

Average $164,202/year

$180,694

$12,491

Average $13,684/month

$15,058

$2,883

Average $3,158/week

$3,475

$72

Average $79/hour

$87

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$180,694	$15,058	$3,475	$87
Average	$164,202	$13,684	$3,158	$79
25th Percentile	$149,895	$12,491	$2,883	$72

Salaries of jobs related to Lead Programmer

Salary Trends for Lead Programmer

Salaries for a Lead Programmer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $152,345 in 2023 to around $147,573 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Lead Programmer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Lead Programmer Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$152,345

2024

$149,137

2025

$147,573

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$152,345
2024	$149,137
2025	$147,573
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Lead Programmer

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