Web Developer Salary for 2027
Key takeaways
- Web developers earned a median of $92,650 a year in May 2025. The range is unusually wide: the 90th percentile, $162,290, is 3.4 times the 10th, $48,100. The title covers everything from building small business sites to engineering large web applications, and pay follows the work.
- BLS projects web developer jobs to grow 3.8% from 2025 to 2035, about the same pace as the 3.5% for all occupations. Its stated reason for the modest pace is that low- and no-code tools and AI automate more web development and let other workers do some of it.
- Software developers earned a median $43,330 higher than web developers in the same release. Much of that gap is the difference between assembling sites and engineering applications, which is why the move into application work is the main pay lever on this page.
- Washington has the highest state median, $130,440, and Arkansas the lowest, $50,550. BLS figures are not adjusted for living costs, and remote clients can pay from anywhere. California employs the most web developers, 7,320. Find your own state in the state table.
- BLS publishes no pay by years of experience or by degree for web developers, so this page does not either. BLS lists a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry education, though many web developers build a portfolio first. Compare degree costs.
The national picture
Web Developers, all industries, BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- 10th percentile
- $48,100
- BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual pay
- $92,650
- BLS OEWS, May 2025
- 90th percentile
- $162,290
- BLS OEWS, May 2025
| Percentile | What it means | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | One in ten earn less | $23.12 | $48,100 |
| 25th | A quarter earn less | $30.88 | $64,230 |
| Median | Half earn more, half less | $44.54 | $92,650 |
| 75th | A quarter earn more | $60.69 | $126,230 |
| 90th | One in ten earn more | $78.03 | $162,290 |
The mean, $98,770, 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, $64,230 to $126,230, are the better guide.
Web developer or software developer? Employers use both titles for people building web applications, and BLS counts them in different occupations depending on the work. A role that builds and maintains a complex application on the web tends to pay like software development; one that builds and updates sites tends to pay like the web developer median.
Web developer salary by employer type
National industry-specific medians for web developers, BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Computer systems design and related services employs the most web developers among the industries here, 18,690, at a median of $88,690. That is 26.6% of all web developers. The highest median belongs to banks and other credit intermediation, $130,750, and the lowest of these to colleges, universities and professional schools, $83,530.
- Computer systems design and related services 18,690 employed, 26.6% of the occupation $88,690
- Management, scientific and technical consulting services 5,180 employed, 7.4% of the occupation $86,690
- Colleges, universities and professional schools 4,300 employed, 6.1% of the occupation $83,530
- Software publishers 3,350 employed, 4.8% of the occupation $130,440
- Management of companies and enterprises 2,900 employed, 4.1% of the occupation $108,120
- Employment services 2,420 employed, 3.4% of the occupation $122,760
- Insurance carriers and related activities 1,540 employed, 2.2% of the occupation $102,100
- Banks and other credit intermediation 1,220 employed, 1.7% of the occupation $130,750
- Government (federal, state and local) 1,200 employed, 1.7% of the occupation $85,720
- Scientific research and development services 770 employed, 1.1% of the occupation $114,450
Web developer salary by state
Median annual pay, employment and location quotient in every state BLS publishes, BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Washington pays the highest state median, $130,440, 41% above the national figure, and Arkansas the lowest, $50,550. California employs the most web developers, 7,320. Search for your state, or sort by any column.
| vs national median | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $130,440+41% | $121,907 | 4,430 | 2.77 | |
| Virginia | $128,380+39% | $126,983 | 4,590 | 2.47 | |
| California | $119,570+29% | $108,013 | 7,320 | 0.89 | |
| District of Columbia | $114,690+24% | $104,359 | 430 | 1.35 | |
| Maryland | $112,690+22% | $107,324 | 1,960 | 1.57 | |
| Missouri | $103,750+12% | $114,262 | 1,160 | 0.88 | |
| Minnesota | $101,020+9% | $102,454 | 1,200 | 0.90 | |
| Utah | $100,170+8% | $101,284 | 1,280 | 1.63 | |
| New York | $98,580+6% | $91,362 | 3,990 | 0.91 | |
| Massachusetts | $98,470+6% | $93,072 | 1,940 | 1.18 | |
| Michigan | $98,470+6% | $102,360 | 1,580 | 0.79 | |
| Rhode Island | $98,140+6% | $95,934 | – | – | |
| North Carolina | $96,610+4% | $102,450 | 2,030 | 0.91 | |
| New Jersey | $95,180+3% | $87,482 | 2,250 | 1.16 | |
| Wisconsin | $90,630−2% | $96,312 | 1,180 | 0.89 | |
| Georgia | $90,340−2% | $93,811 | 1,500 | 0.68 | |
| Pennsylvania | $86,380−7% | $88,504 | 1,670 | 0.61 | |
| Colorado | $85,950−7% | $83,366 | 1,680 | 1.30 | |
| Connecticut | $85,930−7% | $82,944 | 750 | 0.97 | |
| Texas | $85,800−7% | $88,363 | 4,910 | 0.77 | |
| Louisiana | $85,330−8% | $96,746 | 490 | 0.57 | |
| Illinois | $84,820−8% | $84,820 | 4,310 | 1.57 | |
| Vermont | $84,550−9% | $86,276 | 70 | 0.53 | |
| Ohio | $83,860Columbus area−9% | – | 1,690 | 0.68 | |
| Nevada | $83,220−10% | $83,220 | 340 | 0.48 | |
| Mississippi | $83,160Jackson, MS area−10% | – | 190 | 0.37 | |
| Kentucky | $82,630−11% | $91,608 | 270 | 0.30 | |
| Indiana | $80,870−13% | $86,677 | 860 | 0.60 | |
| Nebraska | $80,350−13% | $89,179 | 230 | 0.50 | |
| Idaho | $79,290−14% | $83,026 | 220 | 0.58 | |
| Oklahoma | $78,580−15% | $89,499 | 410 | 0.53 | |
| New Hampshire | $78,260−16% | $75,106 | 470 | 1.53 | |
| West Virginia | $78,240−16% | $87,419 | 400 | 1.28 | |
| South Carolina | $78,190−16% | $83,447 | 710 | 0.68 | |
| Arizona | $76,230−18% | $75,700 | 1,010 | 0.69 | |
| Delaware | $76,020−18% | $76,172 | – | – | |
| Tennessee | $74,760−19% | $81,349 | 1,620 | 1.09 | |
| Kansas | $73,590−21% | $81,676 | 500 | 0.77 | |
| North Dakota | $72,190−22% | $81,112 | – | – | |
| Wyoming | $68,410−26% | $73,797 | 50 | 0.42 | |
| New Mexico | $68,120−26% | $73,883 | 130 | 0.33 | |
| Alabama | $66,640Birmingham area−28% | – | 930 | 0.97 | |
| Oregon | $64,460−30% | $62,340 | 1,140 | 1.28 | |
| Iowa | $64,210−31% | $73,132 | 420 | 0.60 | |
| Montana | $62,060−33% | $65,603 | 550 | 2.39 | |
| South Dakota | $51,100−45% | $57,675 | 390 | 1.88 | |
| Arkansas | $50,550−45% | $58,170 | 400 | 0.67 | |
| Hawaii | – | – | 310 | 1.09 | |
| Maine | – | – | 170 | 0.59 |
No state matches.
BLS released no statewide median for 3 states, so their rows show a metro area’s median from the same release: Alabama (Birmingham), Mississippi (Jackson, MS) and Ohio (Columbus).
Web Developers, 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, Virginia comes out highest, at $126,983.
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 $166,670, 80% above the national median. The biggest job markets are not always the best paid: New York employs the most web developers of any metro here, 4,200, at a median of $104,820.
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 1,130 employed $166,670
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 1,420 employed $152,450
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 3,840 employed $134,350
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 3,470 employed $130,440
- Richmond, VA $117,090
- Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 870 employed $108,550
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 1,450 employed $108,520
- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 790 employed $107,590
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,310 employed $107,290
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 800 employed $106,890
- St. Louis, MO-IL 490 employed $106,360
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 4,200 employed $104,820
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC 400 employed $103,440
- Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 510 employed $101,980
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA 190 employed $98,560
The largest job markets
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ median $104,820 4,200
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median $134,350 3,840
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA median $130,440 3,470
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median $96,870 2,790
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA median $107,290 2,310
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 web developers, 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 +$100,030
Which metro you work in
Among the 46 metro areas this site covers with a published median, Birmingham metro $66,640 to San Jose metro $166,670
- L2 +$82,490
Moving into management
National medians, Web Developers $92,650 to Computer and Information Systems Managers $175,140
- L3 +$79,890
Which state you work in
Among the 44 states (District of Columbia included) with a published median, Arkansas $50,550 to Washington $130,440
- L4 +$47,650
Moving into a related occupation
National medians, Web Developers $92,650 to Computer and Information Research Scientists $140,300
- L5 +$47,220
Which industry employs you
Among the 10 largest employing industries, Colleges, universities and professional schools $83,530 to Banks and other credit intermediation $130,750
How to raise your pay
What the figures above suggest, in order of how much they move the numbers.
- Move from sites to applications. Software developers earn a median $43,330 higher. Back-end work, data handling and owning an application in production are what move a web developer toward that pay.
- Do the work the tools cannot. BLS expects low- and no-code tools and AI to absorb some web development. Performance, accessibility, security and integrating systems are harder to hand to a template. 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 $79,890. 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, banks and other credit intermediation pays web developers the highest median, $130,750, against $92,650 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 web developer 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. Web developers sit at $92,650, the lowest 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 web developers employment to rise from 87,400 in 2025 to 90,600 in 2035, a gain of 3,300 jobs. Growth is only part of the story: new jobs average about 330 a year, about 6% of the 5,300 openings a year; the rest open when people 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 web developer make?
Web developers earned a median of $92,650 a year in May 2025, or $44.54 an hour. The 10th percentile was $48,100 and the 90th was $162,290.
What is the hourly pay for a web developer?
The national median was $44.54 an hour in May 2025, with a 10th percentile of $23.12 and a 90th of $78.03, from the BLS hourly series for web developers.
Do freelance web developers show up in these figures?
No. The BLS wage survey covers people on an employer’s payroll, not the self-employed. BLS estimates that 17.5% of web developers are self-employed, so freelance rates are outside every figure on this page.
Will AI replace web developers?
BLS still projects growth, 3.8% from 2025 to 2035 with about 5,300 openings a year. It also says low- and no-code tools and AI will automate more web development and let other workers handle some of it, which is why it expects the occupation to grow slowly. Our reading is that routine site building is most exposed and application work least, but that is an inference, not a BLS figure.
Do web developers make less than software developers?
On BLS’s national figures, yes. Software developers had a median of $135,980 in May 2025, $43,330 more than the $92,650 for web developers.
Which state pays web developers the most?
Washington, with a median of $130,440 in May 2025. 14 states sit above the national $92,650, and Arkansas is lowest.
Which state employs the most web developers?
California, with 7,320 in May 2025. By location quotient, which compares a state’s share of these jobs with the national share, Washington, Virginia and Montana are the most concentrated.
Which industries pay web developers the most?
Among the 24 industries we checked in BLS data, banks and other credit intermediation has the highest median for web developers, $130,750. Computer systems design and related services employs the most, 18,690.
What do entry-level web developers make?
BLS does not publish pay by experience. Its 10th and 25th percentiles, $48,100 and $64,230, show the lower part of the range; it is an inference, not a published figure, that many first web 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 Web developers: 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 web developers (24 industries checked).
- 3 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, metropolitan areas, May 2025 Metro employment and median for web developers 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 Alabama: the Birmingham metro area median; Mississippi: the Jackson, MS metro area median; Ohio: the Columbus 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 web developers 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 and self-employed share, and table 1.12, BLS’s stated factor behind the projection for web developers.