Computer Programmer Salary for 2027
Key takeaways
- Computer programmers earned a median of $100,390 a year in May 2025, and the middle half of workers fell between $75,850 and $130,680. That is solid pay, but it is pay for an occupation BLS expects to shrink, which matters more for a career plan than the median does.
- BLS projects programmer jobs to fall 7.3% from 2025 to 2035, a loss of about 8,100 jobs, while all occupations grow 3.5%. Its stated reason is that developers increasingly do programming work themselves, and that more of the work is automated, including with AI.
- Software developers, the occupation absorbing much of that work, earned a median $35,590 higher than programmers in the same release. For most programmers, the move toward design and ownership of whole systems is both the safer path and the better paid one.
- Connecticut has the highest state median, $133,820, and South Dakota the lowest. BLS figures are not adjusted for living costs, so check what living in a state costs before treating its median as a raise. Find your own state in the state table.
- BLS publishes no pay by years of experience or by degree for programmers, so this page does not either. It lists a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry education. The 10th and 90th percentiles, $57,710 and $160,460, show the spread. Compare degree costs.
The national picture
Computer Programmers, all industries, BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- 10th percentile
- $57,710
- BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual pay
- $100,390
- BLS OEWS, May 2025
- 90th percentile
- $160,460
- BLS OEWS, May 2025
| Percentile | What it means | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | One in ten earn less | $27.74 | $57,710 |
| 25th | A quarter earn less | $36.47 | $75,850 |
| Median | Half earn more, half less | $48.26 | $100,390 |
| 75th | A quarter earn more | $62.83 | $130,680 |
| 90th | One in ten earn more | $77.15 | $160,460 |
The mean, $105,170, sits above the median because a smaller group at the top of the range pulls the average up. For a sense of what most people earn, the median and the middle half, $75,850 to $130,680, are the better guide.
Where the openings come from. With employment falling, every opening is a replacement. BLS expects about 3,200 programmers a year to move into other occupations and about 2,000 to leave the workforce. That first number is the bigger one: many programmers do not stay programmers.
Computer programmer salary by employer type
National industry-specific medians for computer programmers, BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Computer systems design and related services employs the most computer programmers among the industries here, 27,660, at a median of $98,360. That is 30% of all computer programmers. The highest median belongs to scientific research and development services, $141,610, and the lowest of these to management, scientific and technical consulting services, $75,930.
- Computer systems design and related services 27,660 employed, 30% of the occupation $98,360
- Government (federal, state and local) 7,510 employed, 8.1% of the occupation $97,700
- Colleges, universities and professional schools 7,130 employed, 7.7% of the occupation $101,490
- Software publishers 5,170 employed, 5.6% of the occupation $111,710
- Management of companies and enterprises 3,290 employed, 3.6% of the occupation $107,950
- Management, scientific and technical consulting services 3,240 employed, 3.5% of the occupation $75,930
- Scientific research and development services 3,080 employed, 3.3% of the occupation $141,610
- Insurance carriers and related activities 2,750 employed, 3% of the occupation $101,620
- Computing infrastructure providers, data processing and web hosting 2,630 employed, 2.9% of the occupation $87,670
- Architectural, engineering and related services 2,160 employed, 2.3% of the occupation $102,900
Computer programmer salary by state
Median annual pay, employment and location quotient in every state BLS publishes, BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Connecticut pays the highest state median, $133,820, 33% above the national figure, and South Dakota the lowest, $58,240. California employs the most computer programmers, 11,340. Search for your state, or sort by any column.
| vs national median | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | $133,820+33% | $129,170 | 1,650 | 1.64 | |
| District of Columbia | $130,390Washington, DC area+30% | – | 230 | 0.54 | |
| Massachusetts | $128,390+28% | $121,352 | 1,930 | 0.89 | |
| Washington | $125,620+25% | $117,402 | 2,540 | 1.21 | |
| Maryland | $125,570+25% | $119,590 | 2,490 | 1.52 | |
| Virginia | $121,610+21% | $120,287 | 3,070 | 1.26 | |
| Hawaii | $118,180+18% | $107,436 | 450 | 1.22 | |
| California | $116,760+16% | $105,474 | 11,340 | 1.05 | |
| Arkansas | $111,840+11% | $128,700 | 1,050 | 1.36 | |
| Minnesota | $107,250+7% | $108,773 | 2,070 | 1.18 | |
| New Jersey | $104,940+5% | $96,452 | 3,930 | 1.55 | |
| Utah | $104,890+4% | $106,057 | 690 | 0.67 | |
| Colorado | $104,610+4% | $101,465 | 930 | 0.54 | |
| New York | $103,980+4% | $96,367 | 7,020 | 1.22 | |
| Maine | $101,780+1% | $104,820 | 450 | 1.20 | |
| Delaware | $101,420Philadelphia–Wilmington area+1% | – | 450 | 1.58 | |
| Oklahoma | $99,780−1% | $113,645 | 990 | 0.97 | |
| South Carolina | $99,740−1% | $106,446 | 790 | 0.58 | |
| Oregon | $99,540−1% | $96,267 | 1,370 | 1.17 | |
| Texas | $99,330−1% | $102,297 | 7,620 | 0.91 | |
| Georgia | $98,380−2% | $102,160 | 1,890 | 0.65 | |
| Indiana | $97,000−3% | $103,966 | 1,520 | 0.80 | |
| Rhode Island | $96,470−4% | $94,301 | 250 | 0.85 | |
| Nebraska | $95,150−5% | $105,605 | 1,090 | 1.79 | |
| Kentucky | $94,850−6% | $105,155 | 950 | 0.80 | |
| Alabama | $93,800−7% | $105,631 | 890 | 0.71 | |
| Nevada | $93,600−7% | $93,600 | 840 | 0.91 | |
| Florida | $93,180−7% | $90,116 | 4,760 | 0.81 | |
| Kansas | $92,960−7% | $103,174 | 460 | 0.54 | |
| North Dakota | $92,280−8% | $103,685 | 190 | 0.75 | |
| Alaska | $91,700−9% | $89,551 | 530 | 2.75 | |
| Missouri | $90,420−10% | $99,581 | 1,520 | 0.87 | |
| Montana | $89,920−10% | $95,053 | – | – | |
| Vermont | $89,560−11% | $91,388 | 170 | 0.94 | |
| Pennsylvania | $89,180−11% | $91,373 | 3,120 | 0.87 | |
| Idaho | $89,020−11% | $93,215 | – | – | |
| Arizona | $88,990−11% | $88,371 | 1,560 | 0.81 | |
| Wisconsin | $85,280Milwaukee area−15% | – | 3,080 | 1.77 | |
| Ohio | $85,270−15% | $91,886 | 2,100 | 0.64 | |
| Mississippi | $85,120−15% | $97,839 | 1,170 | 1.70 | |
| New Mexico | $83,750−17% | $90,835 | 600 | 1.16 | |
| Wyoming | $81,640−19% | $88,069 | 60 | 0.34 | |
| North Carolina | $81,070−19% | $85,970 | 4,120 | 1.41 | |
| Iowa | $79,180−21% | $90,182 | 950 | 1.03 | |
| Louisiana | $77,220New Orleans area−23% | – | 1,580 | 1.38 | |
| New Hampshire | $74,000−26% | $71,017 | – | – | |
| Tennessee | $73,970Memphis area−26% | – | 920 | 0.47 | |
| Illinois | $72,540−28% | $72,540 | 1,280 | 0.35 | |
| Michigan | $65,860−34% | $68,462 | 4,400 | 1.69 | |
| West Virginia | $65,320−35% | $72,983 | 140 | 0.33 | |
| South Dakota | $58,240−42% | $65,734 | 70 | 0.25 |
No state matches.
BLS released no statewide median for 5 states, so their rows show a metro area’s median from the same release: Delaware (Philadelphia–Wilmington), District of Columbia (Washington, DC), Louisiana (New Orleans), Tennessee (Memphis) and Wisconsin (Milwaukee).
Computer Programmers, BLS OEWS, May 2025. Location quotient: the state’s share of employment in this job divided by the national share; above 1.00 means the job is more concentrated there than nationally. – means no published figure.
A higher median does not always mean more money left over, because prices differ between states. The price-adjusted column divides each state’s median by its all-items Regional Price Parity from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024, US = 100), which puts every state’s median in national-average prices. Adjusted that way, Connecticut comes out highest, at $129,170.
Top-paying metro areas
Among the 46 largest metro areas this site covers with a published median, BLS OEWS metro data, May 2025.
Metro pay spreads wider than state pay. San Jose leads at $154,920, 54% above the national median. The biggest job markets are not always the best paid: New York employs the most computer programmers of any metro here, 6,670, at a median of $126,750.
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 980 employed $154,920
- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 1,150 employed $141,920
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA 1,600 employed $134,130
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 2,440 employed $130,730
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 2,680 employed $130,390
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 1,600 employed $128,900
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 6,670 employed $126,750
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 1,570 employed $118,000
- Richmond, VA 310 employed $112,690
- Salt Lake City-Murray, UT 370 employed $111,290
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 3,400 employed $107,090
- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 780 employed $106,420
- Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN $105,050
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO 540 employed $104,610
- Birmingham, AL 120 employed $103,750
The largest job markets
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ median $126,750 6,670
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA median $107,090 3,400
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX median $102,240 3,260
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median $130,390 2,680
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA median $130,730 2,440
What moves your pay
Each lever is the gap between two published medians, BLS OEWS, May 2025, ranked by size. Places run lowest to highest.
BLS does not publish pay by years of experience or by degree for computer programmers, so this ranking uses the gaps it does publish: between places, between employers and between occupations. Each is a gap between two medians, not a raise anyone is promised.
- L1 +$80,950
Which metro you work in
Among the 46 metro areas this site covers with a published median, Memphis metro $73,970 to San Jose metro $154,920
- L2 +$75,580
Which state you work in
Among the 46 states with a published median, South Dakota $58,240 to Connecticut $133,820
- L3 +$74,750
Moving into management
National medians, Computer Programmers $100,390 to Computer and Information Systems Managers $175,140
- L4 +$65,680
Which industry employs you
Among the 10 largest employing industries, Management, scientific and technical consulting services $75,930 to Scientific research and development services $141,610
- L5 +$39,910
Moving into a related occupation
National medians, Computer Programmers $100,390 to Computer and Information Research Scientists $140,300
How to raise your pay
What the figures above suggest, in order of how much they move the numbers.
- Move toward development. Software developers earn a median $35,590 higher, and BLS names them as the occupation taking on programming work. Designing features, owning a system end to end and talking to the people who use it are what separate the two jobs.
- Use the tools that are automating the work. BLS expects automation, including AI, to make programmers more efficient. Being the person who gets more done with those tools is a better position than competing with them. This is our reading of BLS’s projection note, not a pay figure.
- Know your market before you negotiate. The gap between the highest and lowest state medians is $75,580. Check your own state above and compare an offer with the local median rather than the national one.
- Look at the industry. Among the industries we checked, scientific research and development services pays programmers the highest median, $141,610, against $100,390 nationally.
- Weigh a degree against its cost. BLS lists a bachelor’s degree as typical for entry. If you are choosing one, compare tuition, graduation rates and ABET status in our bachelor’s ranking.
How computer programmer pay compares
National medians for related BLS occupations, BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Among closely related computer occupations, computer and information research scientists have the highest median, $140,300, and web developers the lowest, $92,650. Computer programmers sit at $100,390, the eighth-highest of the 9.
- Computer and Information Research Scientists 21.8% projected change, 2025-35 $140,300
- Software Developers 10.2% projected change, 2025-35 $135,980
- Information Security Analysts 21% projected change, 2025-35 $129,180
- Data Scientists 34.6% projected change, 2025-35 $120,230
- Computer Systems Analysts 7.9% projected change, 2025-35 $105,850
- Database Administrators -0.1% projected change, 2025-35 $104,620
- Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers 5.7% projected change, 2025-35 $104,300
- Computer Programmers -7.3% projected change, 2025-35 $100,390
- Web Developers 3.8% projected change, 2025-35 $92,650
Job outlook
BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35.
BLS projects computer programmers employment to fall from 110,800 in 2025 to 102,700 in 2035, a loss of 8,100 jobs. Even so, BLS expects about 4,400 openings a year, all of them from people who retire, change occupations or leave the workforce.
Among the related occupations above, data scientists have the fastest projected growth, 34.6%. A projection is a model of the next decade, not a promise, and BLS revises it every year.
Keep reading
Frequently asked questions
How much does a computer programmer make?
Computer programmers earned a median of $100,390 a year in May 2025, or $48.26 an hour. The 10th percentile was $57,710 and the 90th was $160,460.
What is the hourly pay for a computer programmer?
The national median was $48.26 an hour in May 2025, with a 10th percentile of $27.74 and a 90th of $77.15, from the BLS hourly series for computer programmers.
Are computer programming jobs going away?
BLS projects employment to fall from 110,800 in 2025 to 102,700 in 2035. It says programming tasks are moving to other computer occupations such as software developers, and that automation, including AI, lets each programmer do more. The occupation is shrinking, not disappearing: BLS still expects about 4,400 openings a year as people retire or change jobs.
Is a computer programmer the same as a software developer?
Not in BLS data. Programmers write and test code to specifications; software developers design the applications and systems and own them. Employers often blur the titles, but BLS counts them separately, and developers had a median of $135,980 in May 2025 against $100,390 for programmers.
Which state pays computer programmers the most?
Connecticut, with a median of $133,820 in May 2025. 14 states sit above the national $100,390, and South Dakota is lowest at $58,240.
Which state employs the most computer programmers?
California, with 11,340 in May 2025. By location quotient, which compares a state’s share of these jobs with the national share, Alaska, Nebraska and Wisconsin are the most concentrated.
Which industries pay computer programmers the most?
Among the 24 industries we checked in BLS data, scientific research and development services has the highest median for programmers, $141,610. Computer systems design and related services employs the most, 27,660.
What do entry-level computer programmers make?
BLS does not publish pay by experience. Its 10th and 25th percentiles, $57,710 and $75,850, show the lower part of the range; it is an inference, not a published figure, that many first programming jobs fall there.
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 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: national and state Computer programmers: employment, annual median and 10th to 90th percentiles, national and by state. The national row is cross-checked against the BLS API. Read .
- 2 BLS OEWS May 2025, via api.bls.gov: hourly, location quotient and industry series Hourly percentiles, location quotient by state, and national industry-specific employment and medians for computer programmers (24 industries checked).
- 3 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, metropolitan areas, May 2025 Metro employment and median for computer programmers in the metro areas this site covers.
- 4 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, metropolitan areas, May 2025, via api.bls.gov Delaware: the Philadelphia–Wilmington metro area median; District of Columbia: the Washington, DC metro area median; Louisiana: the New Orleans metro area median; Tennessee: the Memphis metro area median; Wisconsin: the Milwaukee metro area median, shown where BLS released no statewide median. Read .
- 5 BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 Projected employment change and annual openings, 2025 to 2035, for computer programmers and the related occupations compared here.
- 6 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by State (SARPP), 2024 All-items Regional Price Parity by state (US = 100), used for the price-adjusted column in the state table.
- 7 BLS Employment Projections, occupation tables 1.2, 1.10 and 1.12, 2025-35 Table 1.2, typical entry education, table 1.10, the openings split, and table 1.12, BLS’s stated factor behind the projected decline for computer programmers.