What are the main factors that influence a Software Dev's salary?

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

How does experience change a Software Dev's salary?

A Software Dev's salary grows with experience: starting around $84,428 for beginners, reaching about $87,352 at mid-level, and approach $89,054 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Software Dev?

Software Dev salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Software Dev roles are District of Columbia $95,738, California $95,375, Massachusetts $94,104. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Software Dev roles make?

Salaries for Software Dev level roles vary by specialization: SVP of Bus Dev: $320,590; Software Dev Manager: $151,538; Senior Software Dev Engineer: $147,765; Dev Lead: $138,212; Dev Ops: $106,513.

How do different companies affect a Software Dev's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Software Dev 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.

Software Dev Salary in the United States

How much does a Software Dev make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Software Dev in the United States is $86,469 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $42.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $93,900
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $77,825 to $90,358
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $69,956

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Software Dev Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$90,358	$7,530	$1,738	$43
Average	$86,469	$7,206	$1,663	$42
25th Percentile	$77,825	$6,485	$1,497	$37

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Key Factors That Influence Software Dev Salaries

A Software Dev'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 Software Dev Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Software Dev'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): $84,428
Early Career (1-2 years): $84,668
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $87,352
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $88,940
Expert (over 8 years): $89,054

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Software Dev	$84,428
Intermediate Level Software Dev	$84,668
Senior Level Software Dev	$87,352
Specialist Level Software Dev	$88,940
Expert Level Software Dev	$89,054

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

How Do Software Dev 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 Software Devs. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $95,738.
California: $95,375.
Massachusetts: $94,104.

District of Columbia $95,738 California $95,375 Massachusetts $94,104 Washington $93,758 New Jersey $93,723 Alaska $93,602 Connecticut $92,409 New York $91,925

Hawaii $90,377 Rhode Island $89,651 Maryland $89,158 Minnesota $88,483 Colorado $88,224 Illinois $88,138 Oregon $87,809 Delaware $87,567

New Hampshire $87,415 Virginia $87,074 Pennsylvania $86,080 Nevada $85,578 North Dakota $85,414 Michigan $85,154 Wisconsin $85,059 Vermont $84,869

Texas $84,342 Maine $84,307 Arizona $84,255 Ohio $84,195 Georgia $83,399 Indiana $83,001 Wyoming $82,923 Utah $82,802

Iowa $82,751 Kansas $82,335 Louisiana $82,214 North Carolina $82,171 Missouri $82,154 Florida $81,817 Montana $81,635 Nebraska $81,462

Kentucky $81,367 South Carolina $81,021 Tennessee $80,805 Idaho $80,719 New Mexico $80,087 Oklahoma $79,949 Alabama $79,439 South Dakota $78,583

Arkansas $78,116 West Virginia $77,865 Mississippi $77,113

Top Paying Cities for Software Devs

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: $109,063
San Francisco: $107,991
Oakland: $105,596

San Jose, CA $109,063

San Francisco, CA $107,991

Oakland, CA $105,596

New York, NY $100,209

Queens Village, NY $99,560

Paramus, NJ $98,868

Passaic, NJ $98,782

Bergenfield, NJ $98,695

Stamford, CT $98,566

Huntington, NY $98,479

Newark, NJ $97,917

Bridgeport, CT $97,744

New Brunswick, NJ $97,459

Vallejo, CA $97,277

Middlesex, NJ $97,225

Somerset, NJ $97,148

Petaluma, CA $96,949

Santa Cruz, CA $96,611

Boston, MA $96,439

Monterey, CA $96,006

Fairbanks, AK $95,946

Los Angeles, CA $95,781

Washington, DC $95,738

Seattle, WA $95,583

Santa Rosa, CA $95,565

Juneau, AK $95,314

Orange, CA $95,029

Anchorage, AK $94,873

Anaheim, CA $94,813

Santa Ana, CA $94,683

Nassau, NY $94,631

Long Beach, CA $94,597

Danbury, CT $94,571

Santa Maria, CA $94,277

Everett, WA $94,260

Bremerton, WA $93,836

Trenton, NJ $93,672

Sacramento, CA $93,637

San Diego, CA $93,594

Brockton, MA $93,559

Tacoma, WA $93,525

Santa Barbara, CA $93,403

Lowell, MA $93,058

New Suffolk, NY $93,023

Nashua, NH $92,919

Lompoc, CA $92,781

Ventura, CA $92,694

Stockton, CA $92,669

New Haven, CT $92,496

Atlantic City, NJ $92,271

Hartford, CT $92,081

Modesto, CA $92,037

Poughkeepsie, NY $91,847

New Britain, CT $91,804

Olympia, WA $91,683

Kennewick, WA $91,683

New London, CT $91,665

Norwich, CT $91,640

Lawrence, MA $91,596

Bakersfield, CA $91,354

Riverside, CA $91,233

New Bedford, MA $91,233

Richland, WA $91,147

Portsmouth, NH $91,077

Vineland, NJ $91,060

San Bernardino, CA $90,991

Boulder, CO $90,749

Worcester, MA $90,680

Portland, OR $90,602

Saint Paul, MN $90,498

Minneapolis, MN $90,498

Philadelphia, PA $90,377

Honolulu, HI $89,919

Springfield, MA $89,616

Providence, RI $89,608

Chicago, IL $89,357

Bellingham, WA $89,253

Baltimore, MD $89,158

Chico, CA $88,942

Wilmington, DE $88,795

Pittsfield, MA $88,708

Manchester, NH $88,544

Spokane, WA $88,163

Denver, CO $88,155

Albany, NY $87,748

Troy, NY $87,714

Schenectady, NY $87,532

Burlington, VT $87,342

Portland, ME $87,039

Salem, OR $86,970

Yakima, WA $86,953

Ann Arbor, MI $86,927

Rochester, MN $86,685

Fresno, CA $86,642

Reno, NV $86,642

Milwaukee, WI $86,564

Detroit, MI $86,477

Allentown, PA $86,451

Carson City, NV $86,443

Houston, TX $86,313

Colorado Springs, CO $86,304

Syracuse, NY $86,261

Eugene, OR $86,097

Bismarck, ND $85,993

Gary, IN $85,993

Galveston, TX $85,993

Springfield, OR $85,924

Medford, OR $85,716

Fort Collins, CO $85,682

Austin, TX $85,613

Mesa, AZ $85,431

Phoenix, AZ $85,414

Dallas, TX $85,388

Reading, PA $85,336

Saint Cloud, MN $85,301

Concord, NH $85,224

Madison, WI $85,189

Utica, NY $84,955

Raleigh, NC $84,886

Las Vegas, NV $84,878

Rochester, NY $84,817

Des Moines, IA $84,809

Atlanta, GA $84,670

Battle Creek, MI $84,644

Salt Lake City, UT $84,618

Lancaster, PA $84,489

Champaign, IL $84,471

Harrisburg, PA $84,368

Durham, NC $84,290

Kansas City, MO $84,281

Kansas City, KS $84,264

Fort Worth, TX $84,255

Boca Raton, FL $84,221

Cleveland, OH $84,212

Columbus, OH $84,195

Pittsburgh, PA $84,186

Richmond, VA $84,151

Indianapolis, IN $84,134

Cincinnati, OH $84,022

Petersburg, VA $83,892

Billings, MT $83,702

Lansing, MI $83,702

Huntsville, AL $83,702

Lebanon, PA $83,693

Dayton, OH $83,684

Pueblo, CO $83,684

Appleton, WI $83,658

Buffalo, NY $83,624

Racine, WI $83,581

Charlotte, NC $83,572

Saint Louis, MO $83,546

Springfield, IL $83,511

Elkhart, IN $83,494

York, PA $83,494

Gastonia, NC $83,486

Benton Harbor, MI $83,486

Beaumont, TX $83,434

Lorain, OH $83,416

Toledo, OH $83,382

Binghamton, NY $83,339

Rock Hill, SC $83,330

Rockford, IL $83,287

Fargo, ND $83,243

Elyria, OH $83,243

Flagstaff, AZ $83,183

Fort Lauderdale, FL $83,131

Miami, FL $83,079

Duluth, MN $82,941

Bangor, ME $82,828

Cedar Rapids, IA $82,733

Louisville, KY $82,690

Grand Rapids, MI $82,673

Hialeah, FL $82,664

Casper, WY $82,543

Scranton, PA $82,439

New Orleans, LA $82,413

Virginia Beach, VA $82,405

Akron, OH $82,361

Peoria, IL $82,249

Sarasota, FL $82,232

Green Bay, WI $82,171

Baton Rouge, LA $82,128

Charleston, SC $82,111

Nashville, TN $82,085

Jamestown, NY $82,067

Davenport, IA $82,067

Tucson, AZ $82,024

Cheyenne, WY $81,998

Saint Petersburg, FL $81,972

Tampa, FL $81,955

Omaha, NE $81,938

Port Arthur, TX $81,903

Evansville, IN $81,903

Bradenton, FL $81,869

Santa Fe, NM $81,713

Orlando, FL $81,626

Clearwater, FL $81,531

Canton, OH $81,350

La Crosse, WI $81,350

Grand Forks, ND $81,324

Albuquerque, NM $81,298

Tulsa, OK $81,298

Newport News, VA $81,289

High Point, NC $81,263

Ogden, UT $81,229

Corpus Christi, TX $81,160

Laramie, WY $81,108

Norfolk, VA $81,108

Rock Island, IL $81,056

Saginaw, MI $81,038

Jacksonville, FL $81,030

Salisbury, NC $81,013

Memphis, TN $80,995

Moline, IL $80,952

Fort Myers, FL $80,926

Waterloo, IA $80,814

Spartanburg, SC $80,727

Lincoln, NE $80,684

Fort Wayne, IN $80,667

Birmingham, AL $80,572

Cedar Falls, IA $80,554

Provo, UT $80,546

Springfield, OH $80,537

San Antonio, TX $80,520

Greensboro, NC $80,485

South Bend, IN $80,476

Winston Salem, NC $80,468

Boise, ID $80,442

Savannah, GA $80,381

Muskegon, MI $80,226

Lima, OH $80,122

Lake Charles, LA $80,087

Anderson, IN $80,070

Lexington, KY $80,044

Augusta, GA $80,018

Greenville, SC $80,018

Wichita, KS $79,940

Tuscaloosa, AL $79,940

Columbia, SC $79,862

Bloomington, IN $79,646

Roanoke, VA $79,594

Asheville, NC $79,482

Knoxville, TN $79,335

Shreveport, LA $79,326

Wilmington, NC $79,214

Frankfort, KY $79,050

Oklahoma City, OK $78,989

Chillicothe, OH $78,955

Longview, TX $78,946

Topeka, KS $78,920

Mobile, AL $78,790

Terre Haute, IN $78,756

Erie, PA $78,747

Altoona, PA $78,704

Melbourne, FL $78,678

Amarillo, TX $78,643

Killeen, TX $78,617

Fayetteville, AR $78,548

Sioux Falls, SD $78,488

Chattanooga, TN $78,436

Idaho Falls, ID $78,427

Gainesville, FL $78,246

Portsmouth, OH $78,202

Little Rock, AR $78,185

Lynchburg, VA $78,185

Lafayette, LA $78,150

Youngstown, OH $78,150

Temple, TX $78,116

Daytona Beach, FL $78,099

Clarksville, TN $78,090

Pensacola, FL $78,081

Hopkinsville, KY $77,822

Charleston, WV $77,813

Florence, SC $77,770

Sioux City, IA $77,718

Macon, GA $77,467

Tallahassee, FL $77,459

Fayetteville, NC $77,441

Waco, TX $77,424

Wichita Falls, TX $77,424

Pine Bluff, AR $77,389

Vincennes, IN $77,225

Lubbock, TX $77,191

Great Falls, MT $77,139

Alamogordo, NM $77,130

Abilene, TX $77,061

Rapid City, SD $76,948

Monroe, LA $76,948

Albany, GA $76,897

Huntington, WV $76,888

Jackson, MS $76,879

Greenville, MS $76,871

Parkersburg, WV $76,784

Montgomery, AL $76,767

Johnstown, PA $76,750

Springfield, MO $76,680

Biloxi, MS $76,637

Sumter, SC $76,456

Columbus, GA $76,447

Twin Falls, ID $76,395

Pascagoula, MS $76,283

Kingsport, TN $76,058

Gulfport, MS $76,032

Alexandria, LA $75,747

Fort Smith, AR $75,530

El Paso, TX $75,297

Helena, MT $75,185

Las Cruces, NM $74,908

Harlingen, TX $74,666

Pocatello, ID $74,588

Florence, AL $74,562

Brownsville, TX $74,545

Dothan, AL $74,406

Mcallen, TX $74,363

Columbus, MS $73,723

Altus, OK $73,325

Lawton, OK $73,161

Pierre, SD $72,850

What Skills Can Increase a Software Dev's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Analysis (Mentioned in 4.66% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Installation (Mentioned in 2.46% Job Postings): The action or process of installing someone or something, or of being installed. the act of installing the state of being installed, something that is installed for use.
Programming (Mentioned in 1.29% Job Postings): Executing logic to facilitate computing operations and functionality in one or more languages.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Analysis	4.66%
Installation	2.46%
Programming	1.29%

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 Software Dev's salary.

Systems Engineering: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
Insight: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
Linux: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Systems Engineering	$96,845	12%
Insight	$95,980	11%
Linux	$95,116	10%
Python	$95,116	10%
AWS	$95,116	10%
Sustainability	$93,386	8%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Software Dev's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Software Devs 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 a Software Dev with a Associate's Degree is between $93,125 and $98,555).

Software Dev Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Software Dev

No Diploma 16.1%

High School 16.1%

Associates 8.9%

Bachelors 41.1%

Masters 33.9%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	16.1%
High School	16.1%
Associates	8.9%
Bachelors	41.1%
Masters	33.9%
Doctorate	0.0%

view as graph

Software Dev Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Software Dev'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

$77,825

Average $86,469/year

$90,358

$6,485

Average $7,206/month

$7,530

$1,497

Average $1,663/week

$1,738

$37

Average $42/hour

$43

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$90,358	$7,530	$1,738	$43
Average	$86,469	$7,206	$1,663	$42
25th Percentile	$77,825	$6,485	$1,497	$37

Salaries of jobs related to Software Dev

Salary Trends for Software Dev

Salaries for a Software Dev can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $94,413 in 2023 to around $92,510 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Software Dev salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Software Dev Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$94,413

2024

$93,962

2025

$92,510

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$94,413
2024	$93,962
2025	$92,510
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Software Dev

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401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

Pension

Time Off (days)

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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.)

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