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The national median salary for Software Developers is $140,192 per year ($67.40/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $105,290 and $181,189 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $226,450 per year. There are approximately 186,600 software developers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Research, design, and develop computer and network software or specialized utility programs. Analyze user needs and develop software solutions, applying principles and techniques of computer science, engineering, and mathematical analysis. Update software or enhance existing software capabilities. May work with computer hardware engineers to integrate hardware and software systems, and develop specifications and performance requirements. May maintain databases within an application area, working individually or coordinating database development as part of a team.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+15.8%
Much faster than average
Annual openings
115K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
1.7M
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
23% from new growth77% from people leaving the role
Mixed: openings come from both new growth and people exiting the role.
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
520K
$129,890
Software Publishers
NAICS 513200
154K
$149,990
Management of Companies and Enterprises
NAICS 551100
100K
$133,650
Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services
NAICS 518200
78K
$149,940
Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only)
NAICS 5220A1
54K
$135,930
Wage range across top 5 industries: $129,890 to $149,990 (15% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$34.93
$72,654
P25
$50.62
$105,290
P50MEDIAN
$67.40
$140,192
P75
$87.11
$181,189
P90
$108.87
$226,450
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · tech sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
2.8%
Quits Rate
1.1%
Information sector openings held flat at 81K in March, but layoffs jumped to 66K (+13K, rate 2.4%) -- the highest layoff rate among major sectors. Quit rates dropped to 1.1%. Tech employers retain maximum leverage; cuts continue in pockets.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average software developers salary?
The national median salary for Software Developers is $140,192 per year ($67.40/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $105,290 and $181,189 annually.
How much do top-earning software developers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Software Developers is $226,450 per year ($108.87/hr). The 75th percentile is $181,189 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for software developers?
Entry-level Software Developers (10th percentile) earn approximately $72,654 per year ($34.93/hr). The 25th percentile is $105,290 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 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.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.