occupation · 15-1251 · detailed
Computer Programmers — wages and employment
Computer Programmers earned a median annual wage of $98,670 in the United States in May 2024, with 109,870 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Computer Programmers earned a median annual wage of $98,670 in the United States in May 2024, with 109,870 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $52,190 or less, the best-paid tenth $162,090 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $99,700 to $98,670, -1.0 %. The best-paying state is Washington at $158,820; the lowest Puerto Rico at $43,010. Among metropolitan areas, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA pays the highest median, $167,970. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 109,870 | $98,670 | $103,640 | $52,190 | $71,860 | $128,960 | $162,090 | $47.44 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 120,370 | $99,700 | $107,750 | $58,950 | $74,610 | $129,650 | $167,230 | $47.94 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $158,820 | 3,220 |
| Montana | $128,630 | 450 |
| Oregon | $126,980 | 1,180 |
| Colorado | $124,880 | 1,090 |
| California | $116,220 | 14,720 |
| Massachusetts | $115,200 | 3,040 |
| Virginia | $111,860 | 4,210 |
| Wisconsin | $109,580 | 3,020 |
| Minnesota | $108,450 | 1,960 |
| Hawaii | $108,040 | — |
| Wyoming | $105,420 | 60 |
| Kentucky | $104,840 | 1,640 |
| Maine | $103,110 | 420 |
| Maryland | $103,000 | 2,360 |
| New Jersey | $102,770 | 4,000 |
| Oklahoma | $100,910 | 1,420 |
| Delaware | $100,700 | 370 |
| Arkansas | $100,670 | 1,140 |
| South Carolina | $100,620 | 880 |
| Connecticut | $100,510 | 1,460 |
| New York | $100,410 | 7,090 |
| Ohio | $99,520 | 2,030 |
| Tennessee | $99,270 | 1,300 |
| Florida | $98,630 | 4,700 |
| Georgia | $97,970 | 2,330 |
| North Carolina | $95,770 | 3,880 |
| Rhode Island | $94,560 | 360 |
| Nebraska | $93,620 | 1,390 |
| Missouri | $93,550 | 1,410 |
| Nevada | $92,650 | 420 |
| Kansas | $91,600 | 600 |
| Alaska | $88,930 | 520 |
| North Dakota | $88,910 | 230 |
| Utah | $88,410 | 1,200 |
| Alabama | $87,230 | 1,360 |
| Pennsylvania | $84,770 | 4,130 |
| Iowa | $84,730 | 1,020 |
| Louisiana | $83,980 | 1,640 |
| New Mexico | $83,680 | 490 |
| Indiana | $83,670 | 2,120 |
| Illinois | $83,460 | 1,470 |
| District of Columbia | $82,580 | 1,000 |
| New Hampshire | $80,880 | 590 |
| Texas | $80,820 | 11,220 |
| Idaho | $80,390 | 170 |
| Vermont | $78,230 | 150 |
| Arizona | $71,930 | 4,170 |
| Michigan | $68,790 | 5,350 |
| West Virginia | $65,140 | 190 |
| Mississippi | $65,120 | 600 |
| South Dakota | $56,520 | 70 |
| Puerto Rico | $43,010 | 910 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $167,970 | — |
| Boulder, CO | $162,530 | — |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $159,250 | 1,440 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $133,560 | 1,800 |
| Bend, OR | $132,590 | 90 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $131,230 | — |
| Bozeman, MT | $129,040 | 260 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $122,580 | 390 |
| Columbia, SC | $122,030 | 180 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $122,000 | 3,780 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $120,870 | 970 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $119,900 | 290 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $119,900 | 550 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | $119,240 | 210 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $115,770 | 1,620 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $115,190 | 2,610 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $114,890 | 910 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $113,720 | 550 |
| New Haven, CT | $112,140 | 160 |
| Worcester, MA | $111,390 | 120 |
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