Computer Programmer Salary in California
Median annual pay in California
$116,760
$56.13/hour
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Adjusted for cost of living in California
$105,455
Regional Price Parity: 110.720 (U.S. = 100)
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Difference from the U.S. median ($100,390): +$16,370 (+16.3%)
California ranks 7th of 46 states by median pay, and 14th of 46 after adjusting for cost of living.
Pay
| Annual | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $70,310 | $33.80 |
| 25th percentile | $83,490 | $40.14 |
| Median | $116,760 | $56.13 |
| 75th percentile | $148,740 | $71.51 |
| 90th percentile | $172,300 | $82.84 |
Employment
- Employment in California
- 11,340
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Comparison
Compared with the U.S.
- Median annual pay in California
- $116,760
- Median annual pay in the U.S.
- $100,390
- Difference
- +$16,370 (+16.3%)
Cost of living
$116,760 ÷ 110.720 × 100 = $105,455
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Ranking
| Rank | Median annual pay | Adjusted for cost of living (annual) |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | ||
| 5th | $121,610 | $120,282 4th |
| Hawaii | ||
| 6th | $118,180 | $107,484 9th |
| California This page | ||
| 7th | $116,760 | $105,455 14th |
| Arkansas | ||
| 8th | $111,840 | $128,645 2nd |
| Minnesota | ||
| 9th | $107,250 | $108,750 8th |
Similar occupations
Related occupations from O*NET, in O*NET's order, with their BLS median pay. Each figure shows the place it is for.
- Software Developer salary in California
$174,410/year California
- Web and Digital Interface Designer salary in the U.S.
$104,000/year U.S.
- Computer Occupations, All Other salary in the U.S.
$116,580/year U.S.
- Computer Systems Analyst salary in the U.S.
$105,850/year U.S.
- Database Administrator salary in the U.S.
$104,620/year U.S.
- Database Architect salary in the U.S.
$139,500/year U.S.
Outlook
- Projected employment change, 2025–35 (U.S.)
- −7.3%
- Typical education needed for entry (U.S.)
- Bachelor's degree
BLS publishes employment projections only for the U.S. as a whole. BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35
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Computer Programmer salary in nearby places
- Computer Programmer salary in Arizona
$88,990/year Arizona
- Computer Programmer salary in Nevada
$93,600/year Nevada
- Computer Programmer salary in Oregon
$99,540/year Oregon
- Computer Programmer salary in the U.S.
$100,390/year U.S.
Sources and update
- Wages and employment: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.
- Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
- Related occupations: O*NET® 31.0 Database, CC BY 4.0. Attributions
- Employment projections and typical education: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35.
- Neighboring states: U.S. Census Bureau, County Adjacency File, 2024.
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