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 III's salary?

A Programmer III's salary grows with experience: starting around $120,875 for beginners, reaching about $122,305 at mid-level, and approach $129,368 for experts.

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 $138,162, California $137,638, Massachusetts $135,804. 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: $128,733; Programmer Analyst III: $123,514; Application Programmer Analyst III: $122,600; Applications Programmer III: $122,550; 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 January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Programmer III in the United States is $124,785 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): $144,633
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $115,298 to $135,174
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $106,661

Compensation Planning

Develop a Job Description

Pay Equity

2025 Compensation Trend

AI Onboarding

AI-Powered HR

Salary Salary + Bonus Benefits

View as table

Programmer III Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$135,174	$11,265	$2,600	$65
Average	$124,785	$10,399	$2,400	$60
25th Percentile	$115,298	$9,608	$2,217	$55

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

Change Search Criteria

Check out Programmer III Job Openings in the United States

Applications Programmer Imaging Tool III

Honu Services - FORT HOOD, TX

Family Law Attorney

Wilson Kester the Empowered Divorce Source - TRAVERSE CITY, MI

Dental Hygienist

EV Richardson III, DDS - MARION, VA

Technician III

Transdev - PLEASANTVILLE, NJ

Search More Programmer III Jobs in the United States

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): $120,875
Early Career (1-2 years): $121,161
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $122,305
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $127,076
Expert (over 8 years): $129,368

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Programmer III	$120,875
Intermediate Level Programmer III	$121,161
Senior Level Programmer III	$122,305
Specialist Level Programmer III	$127,076
Expert Level Programmer III	$129,368

View as Graph

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: $138,162.
California: $137,638.
Massachusetts: $135,804.

District of Columbia $138,162

California $137,638

Massachusetts $135,804

Washington $135,304

New Jersey $135,254

Alaska $135,080

Connecticut $133,358

New York $132,659

Hawaii $130,425

Rhode Island $129,377

Maryland $128,666

Minnesota $127,692

Colorado $127,318

Illinois $127,193

Oregon $126,719

Delaware $126,370

New Hampshire $126,150

Virginia $125,658

Pennsylvania $124,223

Nevada $123,500

North Dakota $123,263

Michigan $122,888

Wisconsin $122,751

Vermont $122,476

Texas $121,715

Maine $121,665

Arizona $121,591

Ohio $121,503

Georgia $120,355

Indiana $119,781

Wyoming $119,669

Utah $119,494

Iowa $119,419

Kansas $118,820

Louisiana $118,646

North Carolina $118,583

Missouri $118,558

Florida $118,072

Montana $117,810

Nebraska $117,560

Kentucky $117,423

South Carolina $116,924

Tennessee $116,612

Idaho $116,487

New Mexico $115,576

Oklahoma $115,376

Alabama $114,640

South Dakota $113,405

Arkansas $112,731

West Virginia $112,369

Mississippi $111,283

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: $157,391
San Francisco: $155,844
Oakland: $152,387

San Jose, CA $157,391

San Francisco, CA $155,844

Oakland, CA $152,387

New York, NY $144,613

Queens Village, NY $143,677

Paramus, NJ $142,679

Passaic, NJ $142,554

Bergenfield, NJ $142,430

Stamford, CT $142,242

Huntington, NY $142,118

Newark, NJ $141,307

Bridgeport, CT $141,057

New Brunswick, NJ $140,645

Vallejo, CA $140,383

Middlesex, NJ $140,308

Somerset, NJ $140,196

Petaluma, CA $139,909

Santa Cruz, CA $139,422

Boston, MA $139,173

Monterey, CA $138,549

Fairbanks, AK $138,461

Los Angeles, CA $138,224

Washington, DC $138,162

Seattle, WA $137,937

Santa Rosa, CA $137,912

Juneau, AK $137,551

Orange, CA $137,139

Anchorage, AK $136,914

Anaheim, CA $136,827

Santa Ana, CA $136,640

Nassau, NY $136,565

Long Beach, CA $136,515

Danbury, CT $136,477

Santa Maria, CA $136,053

Everett, WA $136,028

Bremerton, WA $135,417

Trenton, NJ $135,180

Sacramento, CA $135,130

San Diego, CA $135,067

Brockton, MA $135,017

Tacoma, WA $134,967

Santa Barbara, CA $134,793

Lowell, MA $134,294

New Suffolk, NY $134,244

Nashua, NH $134,094

Lompoc, CA $133,894

Ventura, CA $133,770

Stockton, CA $133,732

New Haven, CT $133,483

Atlantic City, NJ $133,158

Hartford, CT $132,884

Modesto, CA $132,821

Poughkeepsie, NY $132,547

New Britain, CT $132,484

Olympia, WA $132,310

Kennewick, WA $132,310

New London, CT $132,285

Norwich, CT $132,247

Lawrence, MA $132,185

Bakersfield, CA $131,835

Riverside, CA $131,661

New Bedford, MA $131,661

Richland, WA $131,536

Portsmouth, NH $131,436

Vineland, NJ $131,411

San Bernardino, CA $131,311

Boulder, CO $130,962

Worcester, MA $130,862

Portland, OR $130,750

Saint Paul, MN $130,600

Minneapolis, MN $130,600

Philadelphia, PA $130,425

Honolulu, HI $129,764

Springfield, MA $129,327

Providence, RI $129,315

Chicago, IL $128,953

Bellingham, WA $128,803

Baltimore, MD $128,666

Chico, CA $128,354

Wilmington, DE $128,142

Pittsfield, MA $128,017

Manchester, NH $127,780

Spokane, WA $127,231

Denver, CO $127,218

Albany, NY $126,632

Troy, NY $126,582

Schenectady, NY $126,320

Burlington, VT $126,045

Portland, ME $125,609

Salem, OR $125,509

Yakima, WA $125,484

Ann Arbor, MI $125,446

Rochester, MN $125,097

Fresno, CA $125,035

Reno, NV $125,035

Milwaukee, WI $124,922

Detroit, MI $124,797

Allentown, PA $124,760

Carson City, NV $124,748

Houston, TX $124,560

Colorado Springs, CO $124,548

Syracuse, NY $124,486

Eugene, OR $124,248

Bismarck, ND $124,099

Gary, IN $124,099

Galveston, TX $124,099

Springfield, OR $123,999

Medford, OR $123,699

Fort Collins, CO $123,649

Austin, TX $123,550

Mesa, AZ $123,288

Phoenix, AZ $123,263

Dallas, TX $123,225

Reading, PA $123,150

Saint Cloud, MN $123,100

Concord, NH $122,988

Madison, WI $122,938

Utica, NY $122,601

Raleigh, NC $122,501

Las Vegas, NV $122,489

Rochester, NY $122,402

Des Moines, IA $122,389

Atlanta, GA $122,189

Battle Creek, MI $122,152

Salt Lake City, UT $122,115

Lancaster, PA $121,927

Champaign, IL $121,902

Harrisburg, PA $121,753

Durham, NC $121,640

Kansas City, MO $121,628

Kansas City, KS $121,603

Fort Worth, TX $121,591

Boca Raton, FL $121,541

Cleveland, OH $121,528

Columbus, OH $121,503

Pittsburgh, PA $121,491

Richmond, VA $121,441

Indianapolis, IN $121,416

Cincinnati, OH $121,254

Petersburg, VA $121,066

Billings, MT $120,792

Lansing, MI $120,792

Huntsville, AL $120,792

Lebanon, PA $120,779

Dayton, OH $120,767

Pueblo, CO $120,767

Appleton, WI $120,729

Buffalo, NY $120,680

Racine, WI $120,617

Charlotte, NC $120,605

Saint Louis, MO $120,567

Springfield, IL $120,517

Elkhart, IN $120,492

York, PA $120,492

Gastonia, NC $120,480

Benton Harbor, MI $120,480

Beaumont, TX $120,405

Lorain, OH $120,380

Toledo, OH $120,330

Binghamton, NY $120,268

Rock Hill, SC $120,255

Rockford, IL $120,193

Fargo, ND $120,131

Elyria, OH $120,131

Flagstaff, AZ $120,043

Fort Lauderdale, FL $119,968

Miami, FL $119,893

Duluth, MN $119,694

Bangor, ME $119,532

Cedar Rapids, IA $119,394

Louisville, KY $119,332

Grand Rapids, MI $119,307

Hialeah, FL $119,294

Casper, WY $119,120

Scranton, PA $118,970

New Orleans, LA $118,933

Virginia Beach, VA $118,920

Akron, OH $118,858

Peoria, IL $118,695

Sarasota, FL $118,671

Green Bay, WI $118,583

Baton Rouge, LA $118,521

Charleston, SC $118,496

Nashville, TN $118,458

Jamestown, NY $118,433

Davenport, IA $118,433

Tucson, AZ $118,371

Cheyenne, WY $118,334

Saint Petersburg, FL $118,296

Tampa, FL $118,271

Omaha, NE $118,246

Port Arthur, TX $118,196

Evansville, IN $118,196

Bradenton, FL $118,146

Santa Fe, NM $117,922

Orlando, FL $117,797

Clearwater, FL $117,660

Canton, OH $117,398

La Crosse, WI $117,398

Grand Forks, ND $117,360

Albuquerque, NM $117,323

Tulsa, OK $117,323

Newport News, VA $117,310

High Point, NC $117,273

Ogden, UT $117,223

Corpus Christi, TX $117,123

Laramie, WY $117,048

Norfolk, VA $117,048

Rock Island, IL $116,973

Saginaw, MI $116,949

Jacksonville, FL $116,936

Salisbury, NC $116,911

Memphis, TN $116,886

Moline, IL $116,824

Fort Myers, FL $116,786

Waterloo, IA $116,624

Spartanburg, SC $116,499

Lincoln, NE $116,437

Fort Wayne, IN $116,412

Birmingham, AL $116,275

Cedar Falls, IA $116,250

Provo, UT $116,237

Springfield, OH $116,225

San Antonio, TX $116,200

Greensboro, NC $116,150

South Bend, IN $116,137

Winston Salem, NC $116,125

Boise, ID $116,087

Savannah, GA $116,000

Muskegon, MI $115,776

Lima, OH $115,626

Lake Charles, LA $115,576

Anderson, IN $115,551

Lexington, KY $115,513

Augusta, GA $115,476

Greenville, SC $115,476

Wichita, KS $115,364

Tuscaloosa, AL $115,364

Columbia, SC $115,251

Bloomington, IN $114,939

Roanoke, VA $114,865

Asheville, NC $114,702

Knoxville, TN $114,490

Shreveport, LA $114,478

Wilmington, NC $114,316

Frankfort, KY $114,078

Oklahoma City, OK $113,991

Chillicothe, OH $113,941

Longview, TX $113,929

Topeka, KS $113,891

Mobile, AL $113,704

Terre Haute, IN $113,654

Erie, PA $113,642

Altoona, PA $113,579

Melbourne, FL $113,542

Amarillo, TX $113,492

Killeen, TX $113,455

Fayetteville, AR $113,355

Sioux Falls, SD $113,267

Chattanooga, TN $113,192

Idaho Falls, ID $113,180

Gainesville, FL $112,918

Portsmouth, OH $112,856

Little Rock, AR $112,831

Lynchburg, VA $112,831

Lafayette, LA $112,781

Youngstown, OH $112,781

Temple, TX $112,731

Daytona Beach, FL $112,706

Clarksville, TN $112,693

Pensacola, FL $112,681

Hopkinsville, KY $112,307

Charleston, WV $112,294

Florence, SC $112,232

Sioux City, IA $112,157

Macon, GA $111,795

Tallahassee, FL $111,782

Fayetteville, NC $111,757

Waco, TX $111,732

Wichita Falls, TX $111,732

Pine Bluff, AR $111,683

Vincennes, IN $111,445

Lubbock, TX $111,396

Great Falls, MT $111,321

Alamogordo, NM $111,308

Abilene, TX $111,208

Rapid City, SD $111,046

Monroe, LA $111,046

Albany, GA $110,971

Huntington, WV $110,959

Jackson, MS $110,946

Greenville, MS $110,934

Parkersburg, WV $110,809

Montgomery, AL $110,784

Johnstown, PA $110,759

Springfield, MO $110,659

Biloxi, MS $110,597

Sumter, SC $110,335

Columbus, GA $110,322

Twin Falls, ID $110,248

Pascagoula, MS $110,085

Kingsport, TN $109,761

Gulfport, MS $109,723

Alexandria, LA $109,312

Fort Smith, AR $109,000

El Paso, TX $108,663

Helena, MT $108,501

Las Cruces, NM $108,101

Harlingen, TX $107,752

Pocatello, ID $107,640

Florence, AL $107,602

Brownsville, TX $107,577

Dothan, AL $107,377

Mcallen, TX $107,315

Columbus, MS $106,392

Altus, OK $105,818

Lawton, OK $105,581

Pierre, SD $105,131

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	$127,281	2%
Presentation	$127,281	2%
Agile	$126,033	1%
Software Development	$126,033	1%
Collaboration	$126,033	1%
Team Development	$126,033	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 January 01, 2026

$115,298

Average $124,785/year

$135,174

$9,608

Average $10,399/month

$11,265

$2,217

Average $2,400/week

$2,600

$55

Average $60/hour

$65

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$135,174	$11,265	$2,600	$65
Average	$124,785	$10,399	$2,400	$60
25th Percentile	$115,298	$9,608	$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

Social Security

401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

Pension

Time Off (days)

For Employers

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution.

Compensation Planning

Biotechnology

the United States

Find Your Next Programmer III Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Programmer III job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

For Employees

Get a Salary Increase

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Search Job Openings

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

For Employers

Adjust Employee Salary

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Price My Industry Jobs

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

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.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
Job and employee pricing reports
Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.

Learn about