50
states and DC with complete wage and RPP data
PaycheckForge salary cohort · updated 2026-09-02
Software Developers Salary by State
Compare official state median wages, estimated 2026 take-home pay and BEA regional price-adjusted value. This is a state-level benchmark, not a personal job-offer verdict.
$174,410
highest state median · California
$95,330
lowest state median · Mississippi
National job outlook, 2025–2035
This is a national BLS employment projection. It describes the occupation's expected direction across the United States; it is not a forecast for a particular state, employer or individual career.
+10.2%
projected employment growth
+174.7K
projected employment change
95.3K
average openings per year
Bachelor's degree
typical entry education
BLS lists none as typical on-the-job training and no related work experience requirement. Openings include growth and replacement needs and should not be read as newly created jobs alone.
State salary and take-home comparison
Gross rank uses the BLS annual median. Regional value is estimated annual net pay × 100 ÷ BEA state RPP; it is not a household budget or cost-of-living guarantee.
| Gross rank | State | BLS median | Est. annual net | Regional value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | $174,410 | $118,332 | $106,875 |
| #2 | Washington | $166,540 | $125,096 | $116,898 |
| #3 | New York | $166,180 | $116,086 | $107,565 |
| #4 | Massachusetts | $165,210 | $116,147 | $109,824 |
| #5 | Oregon | $142,720 | $96,730 | $93,585 |
| #6 | New Hampshire | $139,720 | $106,765 | $102,496 |
| #7 | Maryland | $138,680 | $99,732 | $95,020 |
| #8 | Colorado | $138,390 | $100,475 | $97,499 |
| #9 | Washington DC | $136,880 | $96,157 | $87,494 |
| #10 | Virginia | $136,460 | $97,504 | $96,439 |
| #11 | New Jersey | $135,940 | $97,710 | $89,803 |
| #12 | North Carolina | $134,710 | $98,474 | $104,398 |
| #13 | Connecticut | $134,120 | $97,040 | $93,659 |
| #14 | Delaware | $133,020 | $94,593 | $94,775 |
| #15 | Texas | $132,150 | $101,591 | $104,671 |
| #16 | Illinois | $132,110 | $95,169 | $95,209 |
| #17 | Idaho | $131,590 | $95,342 | $99,841 |
| #18 | Georgia | $131,010 | $94,635 | $98,278 |
| #19 | Florida | $130,980 | $100,791 | $97,463 |
| #20 | Rhode Island | $130,590 | $95,923 | $93,785 |
| #21 | Minnesota | $130,050 | $92,779 | $94,077 |
| #22 | Arizona | $129,690 | $96,876 | $96,224 |
| #23 | South Carolina | $129,450 | $93,135 | $99,345 |
| #24 | Nevada | $128,810 | $99,308 | $99,328 |
| #25 | Utah | $128,810 | $93,511 | $94,586 |
| #26 | Pennsylvania | $126,550 | $93,878 | $96,214 |
| #27 | Missouri | $126,120 | $92,452 | $101,800 |
| #28 | Michigan | $125,570 | $92,007 | $95,625 |
| #29 | Vermont | $125,280 | $91,087 | $92,985 |
| #30 | New Mexico | $124,520 | $91,605 | $99,342 |
| #31 | Hawaii | $124,040 | $88,150 | $80,172 |
| #32 | Maine | $123,120 | $88,111 | $90,789 |
| #33 | Wisconsin | $122,660 | $89,984 | $95,631 |
| #34 | Alabama | $122,540 | $89,160 | $100,380 |
| #35 | Tennessee | $122,430 | $94,947 | $103,349 |
| #36 | Montana | $121,990 | $89,115 | $94,157 |
| #37 | West Virginia | $121,000 | $89,056 | $99,507 |
| #38 | Oklahoma | $118,100 | $87,144 | $99,205 |
| #39 | Wyoming | $115,170 | $89,852 | $96,937 |
| #40 | Iowa | $114,890 | $85,901 | $97,880 |
| #41 | Ohio | $114,090 | $86,737 | $93,493 |
| #42 | Kansas | $113,420 | $83,092 | $92,255 |
| #43 | Nebraska | $110,900 | $82,506 | $91,568 |
| #44 | Kentucky | $109,010 | $81,821 | $90,752 |
| #45 | Indiana | $105,920 | $80,250 | $85,986 |
| #46 | North Dakota | $105,600 | $82,320 | $92,537 |
| #47 | Arkansas | $104,490 | $78,447 | $90,235 |
| #48 | Louisiana | $102,800 | $78,452 | $88,941 |
| #49 | South Dakota | $96,310 | $76,584 | $86,452 |
| #50 | Mississippi | $95,330 | $72,813 | $83,739 |
What this occupation does
O*NET occupation descriptions and title examples add career context to the wage data. They do not change the BLS salary estimate or PaycheckForge tax calculation.
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.
Alternate job-title examples
- AI Specialist (Artificial Intelligence Specialist)
- Application Analyst
- Application Architect
- Application Developer
- Application Engineer
- Application Integration Engineer
- Application Integrator
- Application Programmer
These are examples from the O*NET 31.0 job-title file, shown in source order—not a popularity ranking, credential list or guarantee that every title has identical duties.
Check your own offer
The table uses one consistent single-filer baseline. Enter your salary, filing status, pay frequency and 401(k) contribution in the Salary Range & Take-Home Explorer, or compare every report occupation in the Annual Salary Power Report.