How Much Does a Software Engineer Make? Salary by State
Median annual salary (U.S.)
$135,980
Software engineers in the U.S. earn a median of $135,980 a year, or $65.38 an hour. Half of software engineers earn more than $135,980 and half earn less. The top 10% make more than $214,670.
Pay percentiles for software engineers
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $39.64 | $82,460 |
| 25th | $50.58 | $105,210 |
| 50th (median) | $65.38 | $135,980 |
| 75th | $82.68 | $171,980 |
| 90th | $103.21 | $214,670 |
U.S. wages, May 2025. BLS occupation: Software Developers (SOC 15-1252). Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
Highest-paying states for software engineers
| State | Median annual | Median hourly | vs. U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $174,410 | $83.85 | +28% |
| Washington | $166,540 | $80.07 | +22% |
| New York | $166,180 | $79.89 | +22% |
| Massachusetts | $165,210 | $79.43 | +21% |
| Oregon | $142,720 | $68.62 | +5% |
| New Hampshire | $139,720 | $67.17 | +3% |
| Maryland | $138,680 | $66.67 | +2% |
| Colorado | $138,390 | $66.53 | +2% |
| District of Columbia | $136,880 | $65.81 | +1% |
| Virginia | $136,460 | $65.61 | 0% |
| United States | $135,980 | $65.38 | — |
Top 10 states by median annual wage, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
How many software engineers are there?
BLS counts about 1,687,890 software engineers employed in the U.S. (May 2025, excluding the self-employed). These figures cover the BLS occupation “Software Developers”. The most jobs are in California (284,390), Texas (163,880) and New York (113,510).
The mean (average) annual wage is $148,100, higher than the median of $135,980.
Hourly to annual pay calculator
Per year
- Monthly
- $11,332
- Biweekly
- $5,230
- Weekly
- $2,615
- Daily (8 hours)
- $523
- Hours per year
- 2,080
BLS annual figure; hourly × 2,080 may differ slightly.
Frequently asked questions
How much do software engineers make an hour?
The median hourly wage for software engineers is $65.38. The middle 50% earn between $50.58 and $82.68 an hour.
Which state pays software engineers the most?
California has the highest median wage for software engineers at $174,410, +28% vs. the U.S. median.
What is the starting salary for software engineers?
BLS does not report pay by experience, but the lowest-paid 10% of software engineers earn less than $82,460 a year, a common proxy for entry-level pay.