Software Developer Salary in California
Median annual pay in California
$174,410
$83.85/hour
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Adjusted for cost of living in California
$157,523
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 ($135,980): +$38,430 (+28.3%)
California ranks 1st of 50 states by median pay, and 1st of 50 after adjusting for cost of living.
Pay
| Annual | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $105,060 | $50.51 |
| 25th percentile | $136,990 | $65.86 |
| Median | $174,410 | $83.85 |
| 75th percentile | $216,670 | $104.17 |
| 90th percentile | $272,670 | $131.09 |
Employment
- Employment in California
- 284,390
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Comparison
Compared with the U.S.
- Median annual pay in California
- $174,410
- Median annual pay in the U.S.
- $135,980
- Difference
- +$38,430 (+28.3%)
Cost of living
$174,410 ÷ 110.720 × 100 = $157,523
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Ranking
| Rank | Median annual pay | Adjusted for cost of living (annual) |
|---|---|---|
| California This page | ||
| 1st | $174,410 | $157,523 1st |
| Washington | ||
| 2nd | $166,540 | $155,626 3rd |
| New York | ||
| 3rd | $166,180 | $153,983 4th |
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.
- 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.
- Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester salary in the U.S.
$104,300/year U.S.
- Computer Programmer salary in California
$116,760/year California
- 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.)
- +10.2%
- 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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Software Developer salary in nearby places
- Software Developer salary in Arizona
$129,690/year Arizona
- Software Developer salary in Nevada
$128,810/year Nevada
- Software Developer salary in Oregon
$142,720/year Oregon
- Software Developer salary in the U.S.
$135,980/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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