Software Developers: pay by state
National median: $135,980/yrBLS OEWS OEWSSource: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics · OEWS · May 2025 vintage · released May 2025 · Official API. Below, each state's median wage is adjusted to national prices so you can compare real purchasing power, not just headline pay.
What's the equivalent in another state?
A software developer earning the median$174,410in California needs about$152,983in Texas to keep the same purchasing power. The actual median there is $132,150(—).
Show the math
How much the state matters
Nationally, the median software developer earns $135,980 a year. But the state-by-state gap is large: from $174,410 in California down to $95,330 in Mississippi — a spread of 83% for the same job.
Where the job really pays best
Headline pay is only half the story. Adjust each state's wage for its cost of living and the map redraws itself. Once prices are accounted for, California offers the strongest real pay ($157,552 in national-average terms). Oregon, by contrast, pays a high nominal $142,720 but slips to 8th on real pay once its price level is factored in.
A note on coverage
BLS does not publish a software developers wage estimate for Alaska, so that state is shown as “—” rather than guessed.
Every state, ranked by real pay
“Real pay” = median wage ÷ (state price level ÷ 100). Sorted best-first. 100 = US average price level.
| # | State | Median wage | Price level | Real pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $174,410 | 110.7 | $157,552 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $165,210 | 105.8 | $156,153 |
| 3 | Washington | $166,540 | 107.0 | $155,645 |
| 4 | New York | $166,180 | 107.9 | $154,013 |
| 5 | North Carolina | $134,710 | 94.3 | $142,853 |
| 6 | Missouri | $126,120 | 90.8 | $138,899 |
| 7 | South Carolina | $129,450 | 93.7 | $138,154 |
| 8 | Oregon | $142,720 | 103.4 | $138,027 |
| 9 | Alabama | $122,540 | 88.8 | $137,995 |
| 10 | Idaho | $131,590 | 95.5 | $137,791 |
| 11 | Texas | $132,150 | 97.1 | $136,097 |
| 12 | Georgia | $131,010 | 96.3 | $136,044 |
| 13 | West Virginia | $121,000 | 89.5 | $135,196 |
| 14 | New Mexico | $124,520 | 92.2 | $135,054 |
| 15 | Virginia | $136,460 | 101.1 | $134,975 |
| 16 | Oklahoma | $118,100 | 87.8 | $134,510 |
| 17 | Colorado | $138,390 | 103.1 | $134,229 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $139,720 | 104.2 | $134,088 |
| 19 | Delaware | $133,020 | 99.8 | $133,287 |
| 20 | Tennessee | $122,430 | 91.9 | $133,221 |
| 21 | Illinois | $132,110 | 100.0 | $132,110 |
| 22 | Maryland | $138,680 | 105.0 | $132,076 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $130,050 | 98.6 | $131,897 |
| 24 | Iowa | $114,890 | 87.8 | $130,854 |
| 25 | Michigan | $125,570 | 96.2 | $130,530 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $122,660 | 94.1 | $130,351 |
| 27 | Utah | $128,810 | 98.9 | $130,243 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $126,550 | 97.6 | $129,662 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $134,120 | 103.6 | $129,459 |
| 30 | Montana | $121,990 | 94.6 | $128,953 |
| 31 | Nevada | $128,810 | 100.0 | $128,810 |
| 32 | Arizona | $129,690 | 100.7 | $128,788 |
| 33 | Vermont | $125,280 | 98.0 | $127,837 |
| 34 | Rhode Island | $130,590 | 102.3 | $127,654 |
| 35 | Maine | $123,120 | 97.1 | $126,797 |
| 36 | Florida | $130,980 | 103.4 | $126,673 |
| 37 | Kansas | $113,420 | 90.1 | $125,882 |
| 38 | New Jersey | $135,940 | 108.8 | $124,945 |
| 39 | District of Columbia | $136,880 | 109.9 | $124,550 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $115,170 | 92.7 | $124,239 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $110,900 | 90.1 | $123,085 |
| 42 | Ohio | $114,090 | 92.8 | $122,942 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $109,010 | 90.2 | $120,854 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $104,490 | 86.9 | $120,242 |
| 45 | North Dakota | $105,600 | 89.0 | $118,652 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $102,800 | 88.2 | $116,553 |
| 47 | Indiana | $105,920 | 93.3 | $113,526 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $124,040 | 110.0 | $112,764 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $95,330 | 87.0 | $109,575 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $96,310 | 88.6 | $108,702 |
| 51 | Alaska | — | 102.4 | — |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics · OEWS · May 2025 · rel. May 2025 · Official API
BEA Regional Price Parities · SARPP · 2024 · rel. February 2026 · Official API