Computer Programmer Career Guide for 2027
- Median annual pay
- $100,390
- BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Projected growth, 2025-35
- -7.3%
- BLS Employment Projections
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor’s
- BLS Employment Projections
Key takeaways
- Computer programmers write, test and fix the code that turns a design into a working program. BLS counts 92,230 of them, earning a median of $100,390 in May 2025. The job is narrower than a software developer’s: programmers usually build to a specification someone else wrote.
- This is a shrinking occupation. BLS projects programmer employment to fall 7.3% from 2025 to 2035, about 8,100 jobs, while all occupations grow 3.5%. BLS says the work is moving to software developers and is increasingly automated, including with AI.
- Openings still exist: BLS expects about 4,400 a year, almost all from programmers who retire or change occupations rather than from new jobs. Expect a smaller field with experienced competition, not a closed door. About 14.6% of programmers are self-employed, so contract work is another way in.
- BLS lists a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry education, and 88% of workers O*NET surveyed said a new hire needs one. A degree in software engineering or computer science prepares you for programming and for the developer roles that are absorbing it. Compare bachelor’s programs.
- Software developers earned a median $35,590 more than programmers in the same release ($135,980 against $100,390). For most students the practical plan is to learn to program well and aim at the broader developer job, using programming roles as one way in.
What computer programmers do
Counted by BLS as computer programmers.
Computer programmers turn a program design into code a computer can run, then test it, fix it and keep it running. The specification often comes from a software developer or analyst; the programmer’s job is to make it work exactly as written, and to say so when it cannot.
BLS counts 92,230 computer programmers in May 2025, a separate occupation from software developers. The line between the two is blurring, and BLS expects developers to take on more of the programming. O*NET’s task list, quoted below, shows the work as it stands now.
The core tasks
- Write, analyze, review, and rewrite programs, using workflow chart and diagram, and applying knowledge of computer capabilities, subject matter, and symbolic logic.
- Correct errors by making appropriate changes and rechecking the program to ensure that the desired results are produced.
- Perform or direct revision, repair, or expansion of existing programs to increase operating efficiency or adapt to new requirements.
- Write, update, and maintain computer programs or software packages to handle specific jobs such as tracking inventory, storing or retrieving data, or controlling other equipment.
- Consult with managerial, engineering, and technical personnel to clarify program intent, identify problems, and suggest changes.
- Conduct trial runs of programs and software applications to be sure they will produce the desired information and that the instructions are correct.
Task statements for computer programmers, quoted from O*NET OnLine, in O*NET’s order of importance.
Job titles you will see
- Analyst Programmer
- Application Programmer Analyst
- Computer Programmer
- Computer Programmer Analyst
- Internet Programmer
- Java Developer
- Programmer
- Programmer Analyst
- Web Applications Programmer
- Web Programmer
Titles reported by workers in this occupation, O*NET OnLine.
Where computer programmers work
The largest employers of computer programmers among the 24 industries we checked, BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Programmers work wherever businesses run software they built themselves, and the industry figures below show where they are concentrated. Computer systems design and related services employs the most in the industries we checked, and the median differs by industry, so the employer changes the pay as well as the kind of code you maintain.
Computer Programmers, national industry-specific estimates, BLS OEWS, May 2025. A candidate list of industries, ranked by employment; not BLS’s complete industry ranking. Share is the industry’s employment divided by the occupation’s national employment, 92,230.
Ways to become a computer programmer
BLS lists a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry education. Lengths are NCES’s definitions of each degree.
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A bachelor’s in computer scienceusually at least four years of full-time study · median 120 credits
The usual major. Learn more than one language, and show code you have written and maintained: fixing and extending existing code is close to the real job.
Compare computer science bachelor’s programs → -
A bachelor’s in software engineeringusually at least four years of full-time study · median 121 credits
Adds design, testing and team projects, which is the ground a programmer needs to move into developer work, where most openings are.
Compare software engineering bachelor’s programs → -
Contract and freelance worka degree, or a portfolio and references
BLS projections data puts 14.6% of computer programmers in self-employment, so contract work is a real way in. A portfolio and references carry it.
Compare online computer science bachelor’s programs → -
A master’s latergenerally one or two years of full-time study beyond the bachelor’s · median 30 credits
Not required, but it can help a programmer move into design, architecture or a specialty, or help a career changer from another field.
Compare software engineering master’s programs →
Degree lengths: NCES, Digest of Education Statistics 2022, Appendix B: Definitions. Credits: the median of the programs in each ranking that state a credit total on their own page.
What employers expect
BLS’s typical entry requirements for computer programmers, BLS Employment Projections, occupation tables 1.2, 1.10 and 1.12, 2025-35.
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor’s degree
- Work experience in a related occupation
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- None
What workers say a new hire needs
Share of surveyed workers in the occupation giving each answer, O*NET OnLine. Not a hiring requirement.
Programs to start with
The top two programs in each of our rankings, with the score and rank they carry there.
- San Jose State University #1 in our Bachelor’s in Software Engineering Score 87.0 of 100
- Florida Gulf Coast University #2 in our Bachelor’s in Software Engineering Score 85.2 of 100
- California State University-Long Beach #1 in our Computer Science Degrees for Software Engineers Score 94.1 of 100
- California State University-Fullerton #2 in our Computer Science Degrees for Software Engineers Score 93.0 of 100
- The University of Texas at Arlington #1 in Software Engineering Master’s Programs Score 86.9 of 100
- Arizona State University #2 in Software Engineering Master’s Programs Score 86.1 of 100
What the degree costs
IPEDS tuition, 2023–24, at the programs in our rankings: in-state undergraduate for bachelor’s, the school’s average graduate rate for master’s.
Tuition is before fees, housing and financial aid, and it is the school-wide IPEDS figure, so the price a student pays can differ widely from the sticker. Public schools charging in-state rates sit at the low end of the bachelor’s range.
For what the job pays by state, metro and industry, see the computer programmer salary report.
Computer programmer pay and job outlook
Computer Programmers, BLS OEWS, May 2025; BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35.
Top-paying factors
Where the highest medians are, against the national median of $100,390. Each is a published median from the same release, not an estimate for any one person.
Computer Programmers, BLS OEWS, May 2025: state, metropolitan area and national industry-specific medians.
Half of computer programmers earned more than $100,390 in May 2025 and half earned less; the middle half fell between $75,850 and $130,680. Connecticut has the highest state median, $133,820. BLS publishes no pay by years of experience, so this guide gives the range, not a ladder of salaries. The computer programmer salary report breaks pay down by state, metro and industry.
How the career moves
Typical stages. Titles and scope change by employer; BLS publishes no stages or pay by level.
-
Junior programmer
Programmer · Junior Programmer · Application Programmer
Write small modules and fix defects in existing programs, working from specifications and code review. Much of the early work is maintenance on code someone else wrote.
-
Programmer analyst
Programmer Analyst · Computer Programmer Analyst
Take a business request, work out what the program needs to do with the people who asked for it, then write and test it. The analysis half of the title is where the job starts to widen.
-
Senior programmer or developer
Senior Programmer · Software Developer
Own larger programs end to end and decide how they are built. Many programmers make the move to a developer title here, since the design work is what separates the two.
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Lead, architect or specialist
Lead Developer · Systems Architect · Mainframe Specialist
Lead a team’s technical work, design systems across applications, or become the expert in a legacy platform that a business still depends on and few people know well.
Pros and cons
What people like about being a computer programmer, and what wears on them.
What draws people in
- Pro: Good pay for the field: a median of $100,390 in May 2025.
- Pro: Programming skill transfers directly to software development, the occupation BLS says is taking on this work.
- Pro: Contract work is a real option: BLS projections data puts 14.6% of computer programmers in self-employment.
- Pro: Legacy systems in banking, insurance and government still need people who can read and maintain old code.
What to weigh first
- Con: BLS projects the occupation to shrink 7.3% from 2025 to 2035, while all occupations grow.
- Con: AI coding tools automate a growing share of routine programming, the part of the job most exposed to change.
- Con: Software developers, doing related work, earn a median $35,590 more.
- Con: Work built to someone else’s specification can leave little say in what gets built.
A day in the job
Illustrative: a composite day built from the job’s core tasks, not a record of one person’s day. Real days vary by team and employer.
- MorningReading the specification for a change to an inventory program and checking it against the code that already handles that data.
- Late morningMeeting with an analyst and a manager to clarify what the change should do when an order is partly filled.
- AfternoonWriting the change, then running trial runs with test data to confirm the output matches what was asked for.
- Late afternoonTracking down an error a user reported in last month’s release and rechecking the fix against the original case.
- End of dayDocumenting the change so the next programmer who opens this code knows why it works the way it does.
Five questions before you commit
If most of these get a yes, the job is likely a good match.
- Do you like precise, detailed work?A program does exactly what it says, so small mistakes in logic show up as wrong results.
- Are you willing to grow into design work?BLS expects programming to be absorbed by developer roles, and the design side is what those roles add.
- Can you work in someone else’s code?Much of the job is revising and repairing programs written years earlier by people who have moved on.
- Will you learn to work with AI coding tools rather than against them?BLS names automation, including AI, as a reason the occupation is shrinking; programmers who use the tools well stay useful.
- Are you happy to be judged on whether it works?Trial runs and user reports are the test, and there is little room for a program that almost works.
Frequently asked questions
What does a computer programmer do?
Programmers write and test code, fix errors and update existing programs so they run better or meet new requirements. O*NET’s top task for the occupation is to “Write, analyze, review, and rewrite programs, using workflow chart and diagram, and applying knowledge of computer capabilities, subject matter, and symbolic logic.”
How much do computer programmers make?
Computer programmers earned a median of $100,390 in May 2025, according to BLS. The 10th percentile was $57,710 and the 90th was $160,460.
Is computer programming a dying career?
BLS projects employment of computer programmers to decline 7.3% from 2025 to 2035, against growth of 3.5% for all occupations. Its stated reason is that programming tasks are more often done by other computer occupations, such as software developers, and that the work continues to be automated, including with AI. The skill is not going away; the separate job title is shrinking.
What is the difference between a computer programmer and a software developer?
Developers usually decide what a program should do and design it; programmers usually write and test the code to that design. In practice the roles overlap, and BLS expects more programming work to be done by developers. Developers earned a median of $135,980 in May 2025, against $100,390 for programmers.
What degree do you need to be a computer programmer?
BLS lists a bachelor’s degree as typical for entry, usually in computer science, software engineering or a related field. Some employers hire programmers with an associate degree or a strong portfolio, especially for work in a specific language.
How much does a software engineering degree cost?
At the 75 bachelor’s programs in our ranking with a figure, the median in-state tuition for 2023–24 was $20,696 a year, ranging from $7,258 to $48,037. Those IPEDS figures are before fees, housing and financial aid.
How long does it take to become a computer programmer?
The usual route is a bachelor’s degree, which NCES defines as usually at least four years of full-time study; the computer science bachelor’s programs we rank require a median of 120 credits. BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical for entry, so the degree is the main clock. A master’s takes generally one or two years of full-time study beyond the bachelor’s.
Can computer programmers work for themselves?
Some do. BLS counts 14.6% of computer programmers as self-employed, typically doing contract work for businesses that need a specific program written or maintained.
References
Every figure on this page comes from one of these, read by the site’s data scripts and computed at build time, never typed in.
- 1 Computer Programmers, O*NET OnLine Task statements and reported job titles, quoted verbatim, and the education survey of workers in the occupation. O*NET OnLine, read 2026-10-06.
- 2 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: national, industry Computer programmers: employment, median and percentiles nationally, and employment and median in the 24 industries we checked. Read .
- 3 BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 Projected employment change and annual openings, 2025 to 2035, for computer programmers and the related occupations.
- 4 BLS Employment Projections, occupation tables 1.2, 1.10 and 1.12, 2025-35 Table 1.2: BLS’s typical entry education, work experience and on-the-job training.
- 5 NCES, Digest of Education Statistics 2022, Appendix B: Definitions Definitions of the bachelor’s and master’s degree, including their usual length in full-time study.
- 6 NCES IPEDS IC2023_AY, 2023-24: undergraduate tuition for bachelor’s programs; for master’s, the school-wide average graduate tuition, which excludes program fees Tuition for the 75 ranked bachelor’s and 44 ranked master’s programs, the same figures the ranking pages show.
- 7 BLS Employment Projections, occupation tables 1.2, 1.10 and 1.12, 2025-35 Table 1.12: BLS’s stated factor behind the projected decline for computer programmers, paraphrased in the outlook copy.