Key Takeaways
- National average is $148,100. Software Developers earn an average of $148,100 a year nationally (2025, BLS OEWS), with a median of $135,980.
- California pays the most. California leads at $186,770 — about 1.9x what the lowest-paying state offers.
- Mississippi pays the least. Mississippi is lowest at $99,840. Pay broadly tracks local cost of living.
- Location matters. The same job can pay tens of thousands more depending on the state — before adjusting for how far that money goes locally.
How much do software developers earn — and where are they paid the most? Using the latest wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, here is the average software developer salary in every state, mapped and ranked. Nationally, software developers earn an average of $148,100 a year.
Software Developer salary by state, mapped
Highest and lowest-paying states
California pays software developers the most at an average of $186,770, while Mississippi pays the least at $99,840 — a gap of roughly 1.9x. Remember that higher-paying states also tend to have a higher cost of living.
Full table: salary by state
Average and median annual salary plus total employment for all 50 states and D.C. — sortable and searchable.
| Rank | State | Avg salary | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $186,770 | $174,410 | 284,390 |
| 2 | Washington | $171,040 | $166,540 | 107,030 |
| 3 | New York | $163,820 | $166,180 | 113,510 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $161,730 | $165,210 | 48,190 |
| 5 | Maryland | $151,560 | $138,680 | 31,350 |
| 6 | Colorado | $150,940 | $138,390 | 43,320 |
| 7 | Oregon | $149,060 | $142,720 | 21,830 |
| 8 | Virginia | $146,340 | $136,460 | 88,280 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $144,530 | $139,720 | 10,840 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $144,430 | $136,880 | 6,120 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $143,800 | $135,940 | 51,570 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $141,260 | $134,120 | 13,660 |
| 13 | Delaware | $138,110 | $133,020 | 3,380 |
| 14 | Nevada | $137,350 | $128,810 | 4,520 |
| 15 | Florida | $137,010 | $130,980 | 87,890 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $136,940 | $134,710 | 58,470 |
| 17 | Illinois | $136,540 | $132,110 | 56,310 |
| 18 | Texas | $136,450 | $132,150 | 163,880 |
| 19 | South Carolina | $136,240 | $129,450 | 13,230 |
| 20 | Vermont | $136,100 | $125,280 | 1,740 |
| 21 | Hawaii | $134,600 | $124,040 | 1,600 |
| 22 | Idaho | $134,370 | $131,590 | 5,750 |
| 23 | Montana | $133,550 | $121,990 | 2,160 |
| 24 | Arizona | $132,530 | $129,690 | 38,050 |
| 25 | Georgia | $132,150 | $131,010 | 49,700 |
| 26 | Utah | $129,860 | $128,810 | 31,940 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $129,080 | $130,590 | 5,070 |
| 28 | Maine | $129,040 | $123,120 | 2,790 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $128,110 | $126,550 | 55,920 |
| 30 | Minnesota | $127,530 | $130,050 | 35,890 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $126,620 | $124,520 | 3,960 |
| 32 | Missouri | $123,810 | $126,120 | 20,020 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $123,360 | $115,170 | 1,510 |
| 34 | Alabama | $122,840 | $122,540 | 17,450 |
| 35 | Michigan | $122,720 | $125,570 | 43,460 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $122,620 | $122,660 | 21,730 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $120,730 | $109,010 | 7,660 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $120,560 | $122,430 | 19,030 |
| 39 | Ohio | $119,860 | $114,090 | 44,790 |
| 40 | Iowa | $118,780 | $114,890 | 9,040 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $118,510 | $118,100 | 6,880 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $118,410 | $121,000 | 2,650 |
| 43 | Kansas | $116,560 | $113,420 | 13,580 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $115,590 | $110,900 | 7,260 |
| 45 | Indiana | $113,980 | $105,920 | 14,130 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $109,590 | $104,490 | 6,050 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $108,270 | $102,800 | 4,080 |
| 48 | North Dakota | $107,000 | $105,600 | 1,450 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $104,790 | $96,310 | 2,380 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $99,840 | $95,330 | 1,880 |
About the data
Figures are average (mean) and median annual wages from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, 2025 estimates, for the “Software Developers” occupation. OEWS is released annually. Wages are gross, before tax, and not adjusted for state cost-of-living differences.
Data and references:
