Computer Programmers
Computer Programmers (SOC 15-1251) earn a median $100,390 a year ($48.26 an hour) in the United States, with 92,230 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Connecticut.
What computer programmers do
Computer programmers create, change, and test the code and scripts behind computer applications. They work from specifications prepared by software developers, analysts, or other people who determine what a program should do. Programmers write and repeatedly revise programs, using flowcharts and diagrams to follow the logic, and they correct errors by changing the code and rechecking it. They also repair or expand existing programs to increase operating efficiency or adapt them to new requirements, and update and maintain programs and documentation. Some write programs to store, locate, and retrieve specific documents and data. Titles include application programmer, analyst programmer, and .NET programmer. The occupation differs from software developers, who research, design, and develop software and decide what it should do, from web developers, who build websites, and from computer systems analysts. Conversations with managerial, engineering, and technical staff clarify what a program is meant to do, and trial runs confirm that it produces the right information.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a bachelor's degree as the typical level of education for this occupation.
Also called: .NET Programmer, Analyst Programmer, Application Programmer, Application Programmer Analyst, Applications Programmer.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $27.74 | $36.47 | $48.26 | $62.83 | $77.15 | $50.56 | 92,230 |
| Annual | $57,710 | $75,850 | $100,390 | $130,680 | $160,460 | $105,170 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where computer programmers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $39.48 | $46.94 | $64.34 | $68.23 | $68.23 | $58.31 | 1,650 | 0.97 | 1.64 |
| Annual | $82,110 | $97,630 | $133,820 | $141,920 | $141,920 | $121,270 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $37.05 | $48.70 | $61.73 | $68.11 | $80.92 | $61.31 | 1,930 | 0.53 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $77,060 | $101,290 | $128,390 | $141,660 | $168,310 | $127,520 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $40.75 | $50.98 | $60.39 | $68.48 | $80.00 | $60.84 | 2,540 | 0.72 | 1.21 |
| Annual | $84,760 | $106,040 | $125,620 | $142,440 | $166,400 | $126,540 | ||||
| Maryland | Hourly | $35.80 | $44.78 | $60.37 | $61.49 | $76.38 | $56.35 | 2,490 | 0.90 | 1.52 |
| Annual | $74,470 | $93,140 | $125,570 | $127,900 | $158,880 | $117,210 | ||||
| Virginia | Hourly | $32.21 | $42.08 | $58.47 | $77.18 | $87.93 | $58.68 | 3,070 | 0.75 | 1.26 |
| Annual | $67,010 | $87,520 | $121,610 | $160,530 | $182,890 | $122,060 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $33.80 | $40.14 | $56.13 | $71.51 | $82.84 | $57.64 | 11,340 | 0.62 | 1.05 |
| Annual | $70,310 | $83,490 | $116,760 | $148,740 | $172,300 | $119,900 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $28.90 | $35.71 | $47.76 | $61.37 | $68.89 | $48.43 | 7,620 | 0.54 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $60,120 | $74,290 | $99,330 | $127,640 | $143,300 | $100,740 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $31.72 | $39.44 | $49.99 | $64.90 | $82.70 | $55.72 | 7,020 | 0.73 | 1.22 |
| Annual | $65,970 | $82,040 | $103,980 | $134,990 | $172,020 | $115,900 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $25.39 | $32.55 | $44.80 | $57.37 | $66.71 | $46.61 | 4,760 | 0.48 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $52,810 | $67,700 | $93,180 | $119,330 | $138,770 | $96,940 | ||||
| Michigan | Hourly | $17.11 | $27.26 | $31.67 | $47.55 | $61.47 | $37.44 | 4,400 | 1.00 | 1.69 |
| Annual | $35,600 | $56,700 | $65,860 | $98,900 | $127,850 | $77,870 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Boulder, CO | Hourly | $36.43 | $36.43 | $74.54 | $96.07 | $96.07 | $67.23 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $75,780 | $75,780 | $155,030 | $199,830 | $199,830 | $139,840 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $39.30 | $57.50 | $74.48 | $86.47 | $97.42 | $72.49 | 980 | 0.86 | 1.46 |
| Annual | $81,750 | $119,590 | $154,920 | $179,860 | $202,640 | $150,780 | ||||
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | Hourly | $40.79 | $49.02 | $68.23 | $68.23 | $68.23 | $60.71 | 1,150 | 1.92 | 3.23 |
| Annual | $84,850 | $101,970 | $141,920 | $141,920 | $141,920 | $126,270 | ||||
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | Hourly | $38.24 | $52.99 | $65.81 | $80.30 | $80.30 | $62.54 | 490 | 1.78 | 2.99 |
| Annual | $79,540 | $110,220 | $136,880 | $167,020 | $167,020 | $130,080 | ||||
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | Hourly | $34.14 | $48.73 | $64.49 | $78.84 | $86.03 | $62.28 | 1,600 | 1.04 | 1.75 |
| Annual | $71,010 | $101,360 | $134,130 | $163,990 | $178,930 | $129,530 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $36.54 | $45.67 | $60.94 | $72.82 | $83.61 | $61.96 | 6,670 | 0.70 | 1.18 |
| Annual | $76,000 | $94,990 | $126,750 | $151,470 | $173,900 | $128,880 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $29.67 | $39.79 | $51.49 | $63.75 | $77.15 | $51.93 | 3,400 | 0.54 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $61,700 | $82,770 | $107,090 | $132,600 | $160,460 | $108,020 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $32.27 | $38.63 | $49.15 | $61.72 | $70.11 | $51.12 | 3,260 | 0.81 | 1.36 |
| Annual | $67,110 | $80,350 | $102,240 | $128,380 | $145,830 | $106,330 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $32.21 | $44.95 | $62.69 | $78.53 | $88.78 | $61.43 | 2,680 | 0.85 | 1.44 |
| Annual | $67,010 | $93,490 | $130,390 | $163,340 | $184,660 | $127,780 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $35.63 | $37.36 | $62.85 | $80.21 | $84.02 | $61.07 | 2,440 | 1.03 | 1.73 |
| Annual | $74,110 | $77,710 | $130,730 | $166,830 | $174,770 | $127,030 | ||||
Top industries employing computer programmers
Computer Systems Design and Related Services employ 30.0% of computer programmers nationally (27,660 jobs) at a median $98,360 a year ($47.29 an hour), followed by Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (7.7%) and Software Publishers (5.6%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services NAICS 541500 | 27,660 | 30.0% | $98,360 | $47.29 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 7,130 | 7.7% | $101,490 | $48.80 |
| Software Publishers NAICS 513200 | 5,170 | 5.6% | $111,710 | $53.71 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999200 | 4,560 | 4.9% | $91,760 | $44.12 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises NAICS 551100 | 3,290 | 3.6% | $107,950 | $51.90 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (92,230). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $93,000 for computer programmers in May 2021 and $100,390 in May 2025, with employment of 152,610 and 92,230.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $93,000 | $44.71 | 152,610 |
| May 2022 | $97,800 | $47.02 | 132,740 |
| May 2023 | $99,700 | $47.94 | 120,370 |
| May 2024 | $98,670 | $47.44 | 109,870 |
| May 2025 | $100,390 | $48.26 | 92,230 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut profile | $64.34 | $133,820 | $82,110 | $141,920 | 1,650 | 0.97 | 1.64 |
| 2 | Massachusetts profile | $61.73 | $128,390 | $77,060 | $168,310 | 1,930 | 0.53 | 0.89 |
| 3 | Washington profile | $60.39 | $125,620 | $84,760 | $166,400 | 2,540 | 0.72 | 1.21 |
| 4 | Maryland profile | $60.37 | $125,570 | $74,470 | $158,880 | 2,490 | 0.90 | 1.52 |
| 5 | Virginia profile | $58.47 | $121,610 | $67,010 | $182,890 | 3,070 | 0.75 | 1.26 |
| 6 | Hawaii profile | $56.82 | $118,180 | $75,450 | $151,820 | 450 | 0.72 | 1.22 |
| 7 | California profile | $56.13 | $116,760 | $70,310 | $172,300 | 11,340 | 0.62 | 1.05 |
| 8 | Arkansas profile | $53.77 | $111,840 | $63,520 | $167,020 | 1,050 | 0.81 | 1.36 |
| 9 | Minnesota profile | $51.56 | $107,250 | $52,740 | $125,300 | 2,070 | 0.70 | 1.18 |
| 10 | New Jersey profile | $50.45 | $104,940 | $65,000 | $172,990 | 3,930 | 0.92 | 1.55 |
| 11 | Utah profile | $50.43 | $104,890 | $62,930 | $134,010 | 690 | 0.40 | 0.67 |
| 12 | Colorado profile | $50.29 | $104,610 | $68,320 | $199,830 | 930 | 0.32 | 0.54 |
| 13 | New York profile | $49.99 | $103,980 | $65,970 | $172,020 | 7,020 | 0.73 | 1.22 |
| 14 | Maine profile | $48.93 | $101,780 | $72,930 | $191,670 | 450 | 0.71 | 1.20 |
| 15 | Oklahoma profile | $47.97 | $99,780 | $63,110 | $249,600 | 990 | 0.58 | 0.97 |
| 16 | South Carolina profile | $47.95 | $99,740 | $63,130 | $135,250 | 790 | 0.34 | 0.58 |
| 17 | Oregon profile | $47.85 | $99,540 | $77,080 | $143,450 | 1,370 | 0.70 | 1.17 |
| 18 | Texas profile | $47.76 | $99,330 | $60,120 | $143,300 | 7,620 | 0.54 | 0.91 |
| 19 | Georgia profile | $47.30 | $98,380 | $65,080 | $138,320 | 1,890 | 0.39 | 0.65 |
| 20 | Indiana profile | $46.64 | $97,000 | $67,360 | $135,880 | 1,520 | 0.47 | 0.80 |
| 21 | Rhode Island profile | $46.38 | $96,470 | $69,780 | $144,480 | 250 | 0.50 | 0.85 |
| 22 | Nebraska profile | $45.75 | $95,150 | $61,680 | $154,500 | 1,090 | 1.06 | 1.79 |
| 23 | Kentucky profile | $45.60 | $94,850 | $61,990 | $140,460 | 950 | 0.47 | 0.80 |
| 24 | Alabama profile | $45.10 | $93,800 | $58,100 | $132,330 | 890 | 0.42 | 0.71 |
| 25 | Nevada profile | $45.00 | $93,600 | $68,400 | $131,910 | 840 | 0.54 | 0.91 |
| 26 | Florida profile | $44.80 | $93,180 | $52,810 | $138,770 | 4,760 | 0.48 | 0.81 |
| 27 | Kansas profile | $44.69 | $92,960 | $59,940 | $144,570 | 460 | 0.32 | 0.54 |
| 28 | North Dakota profile | $44.37 | $92,280 | $59,530 | $138,960 | 190 | 0.44 | 0.75 |
| 29 | Alaska profile | $44.09 | $91,700 | $64,150 | $138,530 | 530 | 1.63 | 2.75 |
| 30 | Missouri profile | $43.47 | $90,420 | $54,760 | $126,590 | 1,520 | 0.52 | 0.87 |
| 31 | Montana profile | $43.23 | $89,920 | $64,250 | $123,110 | ** | ** | ** |
| 32 | Vermont profile | $43.06 | $89,560 | $61,400 | $110,930 | 170 | 0.56 | 0.94 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania profile | $42.87 | $89,180 | $60,070 | $134,710 | 3,120 | 0.52 | 0.87 |
| 34 | Idaho profile | $42.80 | $89,020 | $62,820 | $113,610 | ** | ** | ** |
| 35 | Arizona profile | $42.78 | $88,990 | $61,790 | $164,410 | 1,560 | 0.48 | 0.81 |
| 36 | Ohio profile | $41.00 | $85,270 | $51,030 | $134,370 | 2,100 | 0.38 | 0.64 |
| 37 | Mississippi profile | $40.92 | $85,120 | $46,500 | $88,100 | 1,170 | 1.01 | 1.70 |
| 38 | New Mexico profile | $40.26 | $83,750 | $55,500 | $128,940 | 600 | 0.69 | 1.16 |
| 39 | Wyoming profile | $39.25 | $81,640 | $47,880 | $124,870 | 60 | 0.20 | 0.34 |
| 40 | North Carolina profile | $38.98 | $81,070 | $26,170 | $134,780 | 4,120 | 0.83 | 1.41 |
| 41 | Iowa profile | $38.07 | $79,180 | $54,060 | $128,520 | 950 | 0.61 | 1.03 |
| 42 | New Hampshire profile | $35.58 | $74,000 | $53,790 | $124,920 | ** | ** | ** |
| 43 | Illinois profile | $34.88 | $72,540 | $50,640 | $142,410 | 1,280 | 0.21 | 0.35 |
| 44 | Michigan profile | $31.67 | $65,860 | $35,600 | $127,850 | 4,400 | 1.00 | 1.69 |
| 45 | West Virginia profile | $31.40 | $65,320 | $46,330 | $123,320 | 140 | 0.20 | 0.33 |
| 46 | South Dakota profile | $28.00 | $58,240 | $47,670 | $106,820 | 70 | 0.15 | 0.25 |
| – | Delaware profile | * | * | * | * | 450 | 0.94 | 1.58 |
| – | District of Columbia profile | * | * | * | * | 230 | 0.32 | 0.54 |
| – | Louisiana profile | * | * | * | * | 1,580 | 0.82 | 1.38 |
| – | Tennessee profile | * | * | * | * | 920 | 0.28 | 0.47 |
| – | Wisconsin profile | * | * | * | * | 3,080 | 1.05 | 1.77 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (15-1250), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Computer and Mathematical Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 15-1251 Computer Programmers.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 15-1251, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 15-1251.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.