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

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

How does experience change A Programmer 's salary?

A Programmer 's salary grows with experience: an Applications Programmer I (0-2 years)earns $73,792, an Applications Programmer II (2-4 years)earns $96,375, an Programmer III (4-7 years)earns $124,006, an Applications Programmer IV (7+ years)earns $145,321, an Applications Programmer V (7-10 years)earns $168,883,

What are the highest paying states for a Programmer III?

Programmer III salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Programmer III roles are District of Columbia $138,144, California $137,620, Massachusetts $135,786. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Programmer roles make?

Salaries for Programmer level roles vary by specialization: Enterprise Applications Programmer III: $128,743; Programmer Analyst III: $123,497; Application Programmer Analyst III: $122,600; Applications Programmer III: $122,536; IT Systems Programmer III: $118,500.

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

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Programmer III 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.

Programmer III Salary in the United States

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

As of June 01, 2026, the average salary for a Programmer III in the United States is $124,769 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $60.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $144,580
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $115,274 to $135,139
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $106,629

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Programmer III Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$135,139	$11,262	$2,599	$65
Average	$124,769	$10,397	$2,399	$60
25th Percentile	$115,274	$9,606	$2,217	$55

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Key Factors That Influence Programmer III Salaries

A Programmer III'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 Programmer III Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Programmer III'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): $73,792
Early Career (1-2 years): $96,375
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $124,006
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $145,321
Expert (over 8 years): $168,883

Levels	Salary
Applicati... Level Programmer III	$73,792
Applicati... Level Programmer III	$96,375
Programme... Level Programmer III	$124,006
Applicati... Level Programmer III	$145,321
Applicati... Level Programmer III	$168,883

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Programmer III 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 Programmer IIIs. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $138,144.
California: $137,620.
Massachusetts: $135,786.

District of Columbia $138,144

California $137,620

Massachusetts $135,786

Washington $135,287

New Jersey $135,237

Alaska $135,062

Connecticut $133,341

New York $132,642

Hawaii $130,409

Rhode Island $129,360

Maryland $128,649

Minnesota $127,676

Colorado $127,302

Illinois $127,177

Oregon $126,703

Delaware $126,354

New Hampshire $126,134

Virginia $125,642

Pennsylvania $124,208

Nevada $123,484

North Dakota $123,247

Michigan $122,873

Wisconsin $122,735

Vermont $122,461

Texas $121,700

Maine $121,650

Arizona $121,575

Ohio $121,488

Georgia $120,340

Indiana $119,766

Wyoming $119,653

Utah $119,479

Iowa $119,404

Kansas $118,805

Louisiana $118,630

North Carolina $118,568

Missouri $118,543

Florida $118,056

Montana $117,794

Nebraska $117,545

Kentucky $117,408

South Carolina $116,909

Tennessee $116,597

Idaho $116,472

New Mexico $115,561

Oklahoma $115,361

Alabama $114,625

South Dakota $113,390

Arkansas $112,716

West Virginia $112,354

Mississippi $111,269

Top Paying Cities for Programmer IIIs

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: $157,371
San Francisco: $155,648
Oakland: $152,368

San Jose, CA $157,371

San Francisco, CA $155,648

Oakland, CA $152,368

New York, NY $143,658

Paramus, NJ $141,911

Queens Village, NY $141,905

Passaic, NJ $141,786

Bergenfield, NJ $141,775

Stamford, CT $141,501

Huntington, NY $141,449

Newark, NJ $140,527

Bridgeport, CT $140,264

Vallejo, CA $140,016

New Brunswick, NJ $139,966

Petaluma, CA $139,891

Middlesex, NJ $139,654

Somerset, NJ $139,567

Santa Cruz, CA $139,404

Boston, MA $138,643

Monterey, CA $138,205

Seattle, WA $137,920

Santa Rosa, CA $137,895

Los Angeles, CA $137,857

Juneau, AK $137,533

Washington, DC $137,396

Orange, CA $136,951

Santa Ana, CA $136,622

Long Beach, CA $136,497

Anaheim, CA $136,472

Anchorage, AK $136,410

Santa Maria, CA $136,036

Everett, WA $136,011

Danbury, CT $135,572

Bremerton, WA $135,399

Tacoma, WA $134,950

New Suffolk, NY $134,948

Sacramento, CA $134,913

Santa Barbara, CA $134,775

Trenton, NJ $134,638

San Diego, CA $134,638

Brockton, MA $134,501

Fairbanks, AK $134,195

Lompoc, CA $133,877

Lowell, MA $133,776

Ventura, CA $133,752

Nashua, NH $133,727

Stockton, CA $133,715

Modesto, CA $132,804

Poughkeepsie, NY $132,530

Olympia, WA $132,293

Kennewick, WA $132,293

New Haven, CT $132,243

Lawrence, MA $131,793

Hartford, CT $131,669

Riverside, CA $131,644

New Bedford, MA $131,519

Richland, WA $131,519

Bakersfield, CA $131,344

San Bernardino, CA $131,294

New Britain, CT $131,282

Atlantic City, NJ $131,282

New London, CT $131,232

Norwich, CT $131,195

Portsmouth, NH $131,170

Boulder, CO $130,905

Portland, OR $130,733

Worcester, MA $130,720

Minneapolis, MN $130,334

Philadelphia, PA $130,159

Honolulu, HI $129,747

Saint Paul, MN $129,687

Vineland, NJ $129,660

Providence, RI $129,298

Chicago, IL $128,936

Bellingham, WA $128,787

Springfield, MA $128,687

Baltimore, MD $128,649

Chico, CA $128,337

Pittsfield, MA $128,001

Manchester, NH $127,763

Spokane, WA $127,214

Denver, CO $127,202

Albany, NY $126,616

Troy, NY $126,566

Nassau, NY $126,432

Schenectady, NY $126,304

Wilmington, DE $126,204

Burlington, VT $126,029

Salem, OR $125,979

Portland, ME $125,592

Yakima, WA $125,468

Rochester, MN $125,081

Reno, NV $125,019

Fresno, CA $125,019

Milwaukee, WI $124,906

Detroit, MI $124,781

Ann Arbor, MI $124,760

Allentown, PA $124,744

Colorado Springs, CO $124,532

Syracuse, NY $124,470

Carson City, NV $124,470

Houston, TX $124,295

Eugene, OR $124,232

Gary, IN $124,083

Springfield, OR $123,983

Bismarck, ND $123,958

Galveston, TX $123,871

Medford, OR $123,684

Fort Collins, CO $123,634

Concord, NH $123,571

Austin, TX $123,534

Mesa, AZ $123,272

Reading, PA $123,259

Phoenix, AZ $123,247

Dallas, TX $123,209

Saint Cloud, MN $123,090

Madison, WI $122,922

Utica, NY $122,586

Rochester, NY $122,386

Des Moines, IA $122,373

Raleigh, NC $122,361

Atlanta, GA $122,174

Battle Creek, MI $122,136

Salt Lake City, UT $122,099

Lancaster, PA $121,912

Harrisburg, PA $121,737

Kansas City, MO $121,612

Champaign, IL $121,587

Kansas City, KS $121,587

Fort Worth, TX $121,575

Columbus, OH $121,554

Boca Raton, FL $121,525

Pittsburgh, PA $121,475

Richmond, VA $121,425

Indianapolis, IN $121,400

Cleveland, OH $121,388

Las Vegas, NV $121,238

Cincinnati, OH $121,238

Petersburg, VA $121,051

Huntsville, AL $120,864

Lansing, MI $120,780

Lebanon, PA $120,764

Pueblo, CO $120,751

Appleton, WI $120,714

Buffalo, NY $120,664

Dayton, OH $120,627

Racine, WI $120,602

Charlotte, NC $120,589

Saint Louis, MO $120,552

York, PA $120,477

Elkhart, IN $120,477

Gastonia, NC $120,453

Billings, MT $120,423

Beaumont, TX $120,390

Lorain, OH $120,365

Benton Harbor, MI $120,340

Toledo, OH $120,315

Binghamton, NY $120,252

Rock Hill, SC $120,240

Rockford, IL $120,178

Springfield, IL $120,128

Elyria, OH $120,115

Fargo, ND $120,115

Flagstaff, AZ $120,028

Fort Lauderdale, FL $119,953

Duluth, MN $119,878

Miami, FL $119,878

Cheyenne, WY $119,791

Grand Forks, ND $119,791

Bangor, ME $119,516

Cedar Rapids, IA $119,379

Durham, NC $119,327

Louisville, KY $119,317

Grand Rapids, MI $119,292

Hialeah, FL $119,279

Casper, WY $119,104

Scranton, PA $118,955

New Orleans, LA $118,917

Virginia Beach, VA $118,905

Akron, OH $118,842

Peoria, IL $118,680

Sarasota, FL $118,655

Nashville, TN $118,568

Omaha, NE $118,568

Green Bay, WI $118,568

Baton Rouge, LA $118,506

Charleston, SC $118,481

Jamestown, NY $118,418

Davenport, IA $118,418

Tucson, AZ $118,356

Saint Petersburg, FL $118,281

Tampa, FL $118,256

Evansville, IN $118,181

Port Arthur, TX $118,181

Bradenton, FL $118,131

Santa Fe, NM $117,907

Orlando, FL $117,682

Clearwater, FL $117,645

Canton, OH $117,383

La Crosse, WI $117,383

Albuquerque, NM $117,308

Newport News, VA $117,295

High Point, NC $117,258

Ogden, UT $117,208

Corpus Christi, TX $117,108

Norfolk, VA $117,033

Laramie, WY $117,033

Rock Island, IL $116,958

Saginaw, MI $116,934

Jacksonville, FL $116,921

Salisbury, NC $116,896

Boise, ID $116,871

Moline, IL $116,809

Fort Myers, FL $116,771

Memphis, TN $116,746

Tulsa, OK $116,684

Waterloo, IA $116,609

Spartanburg, SC $116,484

Lincoln, NE $116,422

Fort Wayne, IN $116,397

Provo, UT $116,385

Cedar Falls, IA $116,235

San Antonio, TX $116,185

Greensboro, NC $116,135

South Bend, IN $116,123

Savannah, GA $115,985

Muskegon, MI $115,935

Birmingham, AL $115,923

Winston Salem, NC $115,862

Lake Charles, LA $115,561

Anderson, IN $115,536

Lexington, KY $115,499

Augusta, GA $115,461

Greenville, SC $115,461

Lima, OH $115,361

Wichita, KS $115,349

Tuscaloosa, AL $115,349

Columbia, SC $115,237

Springfield, OH $115,212

Asheville, NC $115,012

Bloomington, IN $114,925

Knoxville, TN $114,476

Shreveport, LA $114,463

Wilmington, NC $114,301

Roanoke, VA $114,301

Topeka, KS $114,076

Frankfort, KY $114,063

Oklahoma City, OK $113,976

Chillicothe, OH $113,927

Longview, TX $113,914

Melbourne, FL $113,902

Sioux Falls, SD $113,702

Mobile, AL $113,690

Terre Haute, IN $113,640

Altoona, PA $113,565

Amarillo, TX $113,477

Killeen, TX $113,440

Fayetteville, AR $113,340

Chattanooga, TN $113,303

Sioux City, IA $113,190

Idaho Falls, ID $113,165

Lynchburg, VA $113,066

Gainesville, FL $112,903

Portsmouth, OH $112,841

Little Rock, AR $112,816

Lafayette, LA $112,766

Youngstown, OH $112,766

Daytona Beach, FL $112,691

Clarksville, TN $112,679

Pensacola, FL $112,666

Temple, TX $112,658

Hopkinsville, KY $112,292

Erie, PA $112,267

Florence, SC $112,217

Charleston, WV $112,018

Great Falls, MT $111,955

Macon, GA $111,781

Tallahassee, FL $111,768

Fayetteville, NC $111,743

Waco, TX $111,718

Helena, MT $111,631

Pine Bluff, AR $111,583

Vincennes, IN $111,431

Lubbock, TX $111,381

Alamogordo, NM $111,306

Twin Falls, ID $111,194

Rapid City, SD $111,157

Jackson, MS $110,932

Huntington, WV $110,923

Greenville, MS $110,920

Parkersburg, WV $110,792

Montgomery, AL $110,770

Wichita Falls, TX $110,645

Springfield, MO $110,645

Biloxi, MS $110,583

Monroe, LA $110,458

Johnstown, PA $110,371

Sumter, SC $110,321

Columbus, GA $110,308

Pascagoula, MS $110,071

Abilene, TX $110,071

Kingsport, TN $109,747

Albany, GA $109,747

Gulfport, MS $109,709

Alexandria, LA $109,298

Fort Smith, AR $108,986

El Paso, TX $108,649

Las Cruces, NM $108,087

Harlingen, TX $107,770

Pocatello, ID $107,751

Florence, AL $107,588

Brownsville, TX $107,563

Mcallen, TX $107,301

Dothan, AL $107,127

Columbus, MS $106,386

Altus, OK $105,804

Lawton, OK $105,567

Pierre, SD $105,118

What Skills Can Increase a Programmer III's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Analysis (Mentioned in 6.29% 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 2.96% 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 1.79% 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	6.29%
Application Development	2.96%
HTML	1.79%

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 Programmer III's salary.

Python: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.
Presentation: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.
Agile: Can increase your salary by up to 1%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Python	$127,264	2%
Presentation	$127,264	2%
Agile	$126,017	1%
Software Development	$126,017	1%
Collaboration	$126,017	1%
Team Development	$126,017	1%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Programmer III's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Programmer IIIs 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 Programmer III with a Associate's Degree is between $113,417 and $120,234).

Programmer III Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Programmer III

No Diploma 1.8%

High School 4.0%

Associates 10.1%

Bachelors 57.9%

Masters 25.3%

Doctorate 0.8%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	1.8%
High School	4.0%
Associates	10.1%
Bachelors	57.9%
Masters	25.3%
Doctorate	0.8%

view as graph

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

Understanding how a Programmer III'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 June 01, 2026

$115,274

Average $124,769/year

$135,139

$9,606

Average $10,397/month

$11,262

$2,217

Average $2,399/week

$2,599

$55

Average $60/hour

$65

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$135,139	$11,262	$2,599	$65
Average	$124,769	$10,397	$2,399	$60
25th Percentile	$115,274	$9,606	$2,217	$55

Salaries of jobs related to Programmer III

Salary Trends for Programmer III

Salaries for a Programmer III can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $119,156 in 2023 to around $117,472 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Programmer III salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Programmer III Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$119,156

2024

$118,664

2025

$117,472

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$119,156
2024	$118,664
2025	$117,472
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Programmer III

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Disability

Healthcare

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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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