How much should I pay a computer programmers in 2026?

A competitive 2026 offer for Computer Programmers is $100,381 to $130,686 (market median to the 75th percentile). BLS ECI shows information & tech wages growing about 2.9% a year, so budget a similar annual increase to stay at market.

Is a salary competitive for a computer programmers?

Compare it to the BLS OEWS range: below $75,858 is below market, $100,381 to $130,686 is competitive, and above $130,686 is above market for Computer Programmers.

How is computer programmers pay changing in 2026?

Median pay for this role rose 1.7% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 2.9% wage growth of the Information sector (BLS ECI). the Information sector is running a 3.1% job-openings rate with quits at 1.1% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 2.9% to 3.1% over the past quarter.

Computer Programmers Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 15-1251 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary

$100,381

$48.26/hr

Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Computer Programmers salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

Check a salary or offer:$Competitive · ~P50

P10$58K

P25$76K

P50$100K

P75$131K

P90$160K

Drag the dot or type an amount above.

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Demand: COOLING. Demand is cooling -- tech openings are at 3.1% and easing (JOLTS, June 2026). Employers have more leverage, so the median (or slightly below) is competitive; you do not need to stretch.

📈

Merit budget: Wages in information & tech are rising about 2.9% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.5-3.0% merit increase to hold this role at market.

Our read

For a competitive 2026 offer, target $100,381 to $130,686 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median is plenty in this softer market.

Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Computer Programmers pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 1.7% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 2.9% wage growth of the Information sector (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · COOLING

the Information sector is running a 3.1% job-openings rate with quits at 1.1% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 2.9% to 3.1% over the past quarter.

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 2.8 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is wider than typical, so expect large pay differences by experience, employer size, and geography; build generous ranges and differentiate strongly.

What changed recently

Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings rebounded to 3.1% (up 0.6pp) but remain the lowest of any major sector. Employers keep hiring leverage.
Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 2.9% per year, down from 3.5% the prior quarter.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026

Next refresh: May 2027

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The national median salary for Computer Programmers is $100,381 per year ($48.26/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $75,858 and $130,686 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $160,472 per year. There are approximately 92,230 computer programmers employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

Create, modify, and test the code and scripts that allow computer applications to run. Work from specifications drawn up by software and web developers or other individuals. May develop and write computer programs to store, locate, and retrieve specific documents, data, and information.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034

10-year growth

-6.0%

Much slower than average

Annual openings

per year, on avg

Workforce today

121K

as of 2024

Why those openings exist

0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role

Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.

Typical entry requirements

Education

Bachelor's degree

Experience

None

On-the-job training

None

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific

Industry	Workforce	Median Pay
Computer Systems Design and Related Services NAICS 541500	28K	$98,360
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300	7K	$101,490
Software Publishers NAICS 513200	5K	$111,710
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999200	5K	$91,760
Management of Companies and Enterprises NAICS 551100	3K	$107,950

Wage range across top 5 industries: $91,760 to $111,710 (22% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)

Percentile	Hourly Rate	Annual Salary
P10	$27.74	$57,699
P25	$36.47	$75,858
P50MEDIAN	$48.26	$100,381
P75	$62.83	$130,686
P90	$77.15	$160,472

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · tech sector

Cooling

Openings Rate

3.1%

Quits Rate

1.1%

Information sector openings rebounded to 90K in June (+18K), rate 3.1% -- still the lowest of any major sector. Quits eased to 1.1%. Tech hiring demand stays soft and employers retain leverage.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average computer programmers salary?

The national median salary for Computer Programmers is $100,381 per year ($48.26/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $75,858 and $130,686 annually.

How much do top-earning computer programmers make?

The 90th percentile salary for Computer Programmers is $160,472 per year ($77.15/hr). The 75th percentile is $130,686 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for computer programmers?

Entry-level Computer Programmers (10th percentile) earn approximately $57,699 per year ($27.74/hr). The 25th percentile is $75,858 per year.

Related Salary Data

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Software Developers15-1252$136K/yr Computer User Support Specialists15-1232$62K/yr Computer Systems Analysts15-1211$106K/yr Computer Occupations, All Other15-1299$117K/yr Network and Computer Systems Administrators15-1244$99K/yr Browse all 770+ occupations →

Computer Programmers Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment

California11,340 workers Texas7,620 workers New York7,020 workers Florida4,760 workers Michigan4,400 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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