Application Software Developer Salary in the United States

How much does an Application Software Developer make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for an Application Software Developer in the United States is $100,514 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $48.

However, an Application Software Developer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $117,016
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $89,267 to $109,152
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $79,028
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View as table View as graph 25% $89,267 10% $79,028 90% $117,016 75% $109,152 $100,514 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Application Software Developer Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $109,152 $9,096 $2,099 $52
Average $100,514 $8,376 $1,933 $48
25th Percentile $89,267 $7,439 $1,717 $43
Check out Application Software Developer Job Openings in the United States
senior application developer

Starbucks - SEATTLE, WA

Senior Software Developer

TherapyNotes.com - HORSHAM, PA

Senior Software Developer

TherapyNotes.com - HORSHAM, PA

Senior Software Developer

PIMCO - NEWPORT BEACH, CA

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Key Factors That Influence Application Software Developer Salaries

An Application Software Developer'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, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Application Software Developer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Application Software Developer'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): $97,859
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $98,640
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $101,973
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $105,766
  • Expert (over 8 years): $106,037
Levels Salary
Entry Level Application Software Developer$97,859
Intermediate Level Application Software Developer$98,640
Senior Level Application Software Developer$101,973
Specialist Level Application Software Developer$105,766
Expert Level Application Software Developer$106,037
$97,859 0 yr
$98,640 < 2 yrs
$101,973 2-4 yrs
$105,766 5-8 yrs
$106,037 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Application Software Developers

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: $126,778
  • San Francisco: $125,532
  • Oakland: $122,748

What Skills Can Increase an Application Software Developer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 2.91% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
  • Software Development (Mentioned in 4.42% Job Postings): Software development is the process of conceiving, specifying, designing, programming, documenting, testing, and bug fixing involved in creating and maintaining applications, frameworks, or other software components. Software development is a process of writing and maintaining the source code, but in a broader sense, it includes all that is involved between the conception of the desired software through to the final manifestation of the software, sometimes in a planned and structured process. Therefore, software development may include research, new development, prototyping, modification, reuse, re-engineering, maintenance, or any other activities that result in software products. Software can be developed for a variety of purposes, the three most common being to meet specific needs of a specific client/business (the case with custom software), to meet a perceived need of some set of potential users (the case with commercial and open source software), or for personal use (e.g. a scientist may write software to automate a mundane task). Embedded software development, that is, the development of embedded software, such as used for controlling consumer products, requires the development process to be integrated with the development of the controlled physical product. System software underlies applications and the programming process itself, and is often developed separately.
  • CSS (Mentioned in 2.75% Job Postings): Cascading Style Sheets is a style sheet language used for describing the presentation of a document written in a markup language such as HTML or XML. CSS is a cornerstone technology of the World Wide Web, alongside HTML and JavaScript.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 2.91%
Software Development 4.42%
CSS 2.75%
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 an Application Software Developer's salary.
  • Python: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
  • Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.
  • AWS: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Python
$103,529
3%
Innovation
$102,524
2%
AWS
$102,524
2%
Azure
$101,519
1%
Analysis
$101,519
1%
Insight
$101,519
1%
Get Latest Data

How Education impacts an Application Software Developer's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Application Software Developers enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Application Software Developer with a Associate's Degree is between $90,711 and $96,371).

Application Software Developer Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Application Software Developer
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.4%
High School 10.0%
Associates 9.3%
Bachelors 61.1%
Masters 18.6%
Doctorate 0.7%
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Application Software Developer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Application Software Developer'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 January 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Application Software Developer

Salaries for an Application Software Developer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $100,716 in 2023 to around $100,416 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Application Software Developer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Application Software Developer Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$100,716
2024
$101,151
2025
$100,416
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $100,716
2024 $101,151
2025 $100,416
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Application Software Developer

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Application Software Developer

Here are companies hiring for Application Software Developer and their salaries, click below for more details.

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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