Is this a competitive Software Developers salary in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS August 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$80K
P25$101K
P50$129K
P75$159K
P90$182K
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Demand: STABLE. Demand is stable -- tech openings are at 4.3% (JOLTS, August 2026). A standard market: pay near the median, no urgency premium needed.
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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 $129,438 to $159,453 (market median to the 75th percentile). Anchor on the median.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Software Developers pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role rose 2.2% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 2.9% wage growth of the Information sector (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · STABLE
the Information sector is running a 4.3% job-openings rate with quits at 1.1% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 2.5% to 4.3% over the past quarter.
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 2.6 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
Sep 29, 2026JOLTS August 2026: sector openings jumped to 4.3% (up 45K; July revised down to 2.8%), but hires fell to a 1.6% rate, the lowest of any major private sector. Quits 1.1%. Postings are up; hiring is not.
Sep 1, 2026JOLTS July 2026: sector openings edged up to 3.3%, still the lowest of any major sector. Quits held at 1.0%. Employers keep hiring leverage.
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.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS August 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 median salary for Software Developers in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands is $129,438 per year ($62.23/hr). This is 4.8% lower than the national median of $135,990.
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.
Wage Percentiles: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · BLS metro data
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
vs National
P10Entry level
$38.65
$80,392
-2.5%
P25
$48.65
$101,192
-3.8%
P50MEDIAN
$62.23
$129,438
-4.8%
P75
$76.66
$159,453
-7.3%
P90Top earners
$87.39
$181,771
-15.3%
How Houston compares for Software Developers
Computed from this metro's own BLS distribution against national
Pay for Software Developers in Houston is in line with national (-2.5%) at entry but below national (-15.3%) at the top, so local pay sits relatively lower toward the senior end of the range.
An offer at the national median of $135,990 would sit at about the 56th percentile in Houston.
The top of the range earns 2.26 times the bottom here against 2.60 times nationally, so pay for this role is more compressed between entry and senior levels in Houston.
Houston employs 22,940 people in this role, 1.4% of the national total.
Ordered by BLS median. Shows only metros with published local data for this role.
What employers filed for Software Developers in Houston
US Department of Labor, Labor Condition Applications · FY2026 Q3 (decisions 1 Oct 2025 to 30 Jun 2026)
Across 2,068 filings, the median base salary employers stated for this role in Houston was $112,975, which sits at P35 on the Houston BLS pay curve.
What this is, and is not. These are base salaries stated on Labor Condition Applications for visa-sponsored roles, floored by prevailing-wage rules: offered pay on a legal form, not a payroll extract, and base only, with no bonus or equity. It shows how employers position pay for the role, not what the whole market pays.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median software developers salary in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
The median (P50) annual salary for Software Developers in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands is approximately $129,438, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 4.8% lower than the national median of $135,990. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.
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.
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.
