Technology · 64 Cities Ranked

Highest Paying Cities for Computer Programmer (2025)

The median Computer Programmer salary is $154,920 in San Jose, CA, the highest-paying city for this role. After adjusting for cost of living, Spokane, WA offers the best purchasing power at $128,583 adjusted.

The 64 cities below are ranked by median wage for Computer Programmer, drawn from BLS OEWS. Top-of-list cities typically combine high local labor demand with above-baseline cost-of-living, so the gross-wage ranking partly reflects COL adjustment. Reading the ranking carefully: gross median wage is the headline number, but the cost-adjusted figure (which divides by the city's cost-of-living index) tells a different story for high-COL cities. The ranking sorts on gross wage; the per-city pages surface the adjusted figure.

For workers evaluating Computer Programmer relocation, the top of the ranking is the obvious starting point — but the bottom of the list (low gross wage, low COL) is often where cost-adjusted real income is highest. The role-specific pages link to per-city detail.

$101,212

National Median

$154,920

Highest City

$66,760

Lowest City

Cities Ranked

Ranked by Median Salary

Rank	City	Median	Range (10th-90th)	COL Index	COL-Adjusted	Jobs
1	San Jose, CA	$154,920	$81,750, $202,640	195.8	$79,122	980
2	Hartford, CT	$141,920	$84,850, $141,920	112.6	$126,039	1,150
3	San Diego, CA	$134,130	$71,010, $178,930	160.2	$83,727	1,600
4	Bridgeport, CT	$130,790	$85,290, $173,140	137.5	$95,120	0
5	San Francisco, CA	$130,730	$74,110, $174,770	179.6	$72,790	2,440
6	Washington, DC	$130,390	$67,010, $184,660	152.8	$85,334	2,680
7	Boston, MA	$128,900	$78,940, $168,320	152.1	$84,747	1,600
8	New York, NY	$126,750	$76,000, $173,900	187.2	$67,708	6,670
9	Spokane, WA	$125,240	$75,470, $125,240	97.4	$128,583	0
10	Minneapolis, MN	$118,000	$61,590, $125,300	106.2	$111,111	1,570
11	Colorado Springs, CO	$117,020	$48,610, $180,010	104.5	$111,981	60
12	Richmond, VA	$112,690	$61,540, $162,880	102.1	$110,372	310
13	Salt Lake City, UT	$111,290	$70,390, $136,670	101.4	$109,753	370
14	Los Angeles, CA	$107,090	$61,700, $160,460	166	$64,512	3,400
15	Baltimore, MD	$106,420	$70,330, $178,840	114.2	$93,187	780
16	Louisville, KY	$105,050	$66,260, $140,460	90.2	$116,463	0
17	Denver, CO	$104,610	$73,040, $163,510	112.8	$92,739	540
18	Reno, NV	$104,200	$68,400, $158,160	106.5	$97,840	70
19	Birmingham, AL	$103,750	$64,670, $136,440	90.4	$114,768	120
20	Sacramento, CA	$102,600	$67,200, $167,300	124.7	$82,277	580
21	Dallas, TX	$102,240	$67,110, $145,830	104.1	$98,213	3,260
22	Indianapolis, IN	$102,070	$67,360, $150,140	90.1	$113,285	550
23	Atlanta, GA	$101,910	$70,200, $138,980	99.2	$102,732	1,260
24	Kansas City, MO	$101,830	$63,110, $133,590	95.4	$106,740	500
25	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$101,810	$63,630, $144,870	122.4	$83,178	390
26	Cincinnati, OH	$101,640	$62,550, $142,660	91.2	$111,447	410
27	Miami, FL	$101,530	$62,690, $140,990	123.1	$82,478	1,100
28	Philadelphia, PA	$101,420	$58,280, $172,450	118.4	$85,659	1,770
29	Austin, TX	$100,700	$59,360, $175,140	103	$97,767	0
30	Orlando, FL	$100,450	$49,030, $133,500	103.1	$97,430	540
31	Tampa, FL	$100,140	$38,900, $193,090	99.6	$100,542	830
32	Little Rock, AR	$100,070	$62,820, $134,750	88.2	$113,458	350
33	Chicago, IL	$99,750	$62,830, $152,940	107.3	$92,964	650
34	Greenville, SC	$99,520	$65,410, $180,620	90.1	$110,455	130
35	Fresno, CA	$99,370	$56,960, $141,710	105.5	$94,190	110
36	Portland, OR	$99,150	$77,080, $143,450	130.1	$76,211	820
37	Jacksonville, FL	$99,050	$60,870, $158,600	95.1	$104,154	280
38	Madison, WI	$97,410	$64,860, $163,490	103.8	$93,844	280
39	Providence, RI	$97,300	$71,020, $151,020	119.4	$81,491	290
40	St. Louis, MO	$96,920	$63,230, $132,120	90	$107,689	660
41	Houston, TX	$96,440	$56,180, $145,510	96.5	$99,938	1,340
42	Omaha, NE	$95,150	$64,740, $157,910	91.8	$103,649	640
43	Buffalo, NY	$94,260	$69,590, $125,300	92.5	$101,903	430
44	Las Vegas, NV	$93,600	$67,510, $131,850	109	$85,872	740
45	Wichita, KS	$92,960	$60,540, $183,830	84	$110,667	70
46	Oklahoma City, OK	$92,790	$62,060, $168,710	86.5	$107,272	420
47	Boise, ID	$92,270	$57,250, $155,200	102.1	$90,372	0
48	Anchorage, AK	$91,130	$66,780, $137,210	127	$71,756	320
49	Phoenix, AZ	$91,110	$62,040, $171,500	100.7	$90,477	0
50	Lexington, KY	$90,850	$67,900, $137,340	91.3	$99,507	130
51	Tucson, AZ	$88,990	$61,750, $128,620	95.4	$93,281	230
52	Detroit, MI	$87,860	$59,400, $136,640	95.1	$92,387	1,380
53	Pittsburgh, PA	$85,340	$56,290, $128,490	92.3	$92,459	420
54	Milwaukee, WI	$85,280	$56,910, $129,440	97.4	$87,556	580
55	Charlotte, NC	$84,720	$48,110, $143,140	96.7	$87,611	670
56	Greensboro, NC	$84,700	$56,260, $122,750	91.3	$92,771	190
57	Albany, NY	$84,140	$64,990, $113,100	100.7	$83,555	1,430
58	Albuquerque, NM	$83,750	$55,500, $121,370	94	$89,096	370
59	Rochester, NY	$83,420	$56,680, $132,260	92.9	$89,795	290
60	Columbus, OH	$80,910	$51,270, $128,160	93.1	$86,907	410
61	Des Moines, IA	$79,200	$53,990, $132,180	93.3	$84,887	320
62	New Orleans, LA	$77,220	$37,690, $96,370	95.9	$80,521	550
63	Memphis, TN	$73,970	$47,770, $134,790	84	$88,060	110
64	Knoxville, TN	$66,760	$46,790, $102,170	90.3	$73,931	110

Ranked by Purchasing Power (COL-Adjusted)

Cost-of-living adjusted salaries show where your Computer Programmer paycheck goes furthest. A lower COL index means your dollars stretch further.

Rank	City	COL-Adjusted	Raw Median	COL Index
1	Spokane, WA	$128,583	$125,240	97.4
2	Hartford, CT	$126,039	$141,920	112.6
3	Louisville, KY	$116,463	$105,050	90.2
4	Birmingham, AL	$114,768	$103,750	90.4
5	Little Rock, AR	$113,458	$100,070	88.2
6	Indianapolis, IN	$113,285	$102,070	90.1
7	Colorado Springs, CO	$111,981	$117,020	104.5
8	Cincinnati, OH	$111,447	$101,640	91.2
9	Minneapolis, MN	$111,111	$118,000	106.2
10	Wichita, KS	$110,667	$92,960	84
11	Greenville, SC	$110,455	$99,520	90.1
12	Richmond, VA	$110,372	$112,690	102.1
13	Salt Lake City, UT	$109,753	$111,290	101.4
14	St. Louis, MO	$107,689	$96,920	90
15	Oklahoma City, OK	$107,272	$92,790	86.5
16	Kansas City, MO	$106,740	$101,830	95.4
17	Jacksonville, FL	$104,154	$99,050	95.1
18	Omaha, NE	$103,649	$95,150	91.8
19	Atlanta, GA	$102,732	$101,910	99.2
20	Buffalo, NY	$101,903	$94,260	92.5
21	Tampa, FL	$100,542	$100,140	99.6
22	Houston, TX	$99,938	$96,440	96.5
23	Lexington, KY	$99,507	$90,850	91.3
24	Dallas, TX	$98,213	$102,240	104.1
25	Reno, NV	$97,840	$104,200	106.5
26	Austin, TX	$97,767	$100,700	103
27	Orlando, FL	$97,430	$100,450	103.1
28	Bridgeport, CT	$95,120	$130,790	137.5
29	Fresno, CA	$94,190	$99,370	105.5
30	Madison, WI	$93,844	$97,410	103.8
31	Tucson, AZ	$93,281	$88,990	95.4
32	Baltimore, MD	$93,187	$106,420	114.2
33	Chicago, IL	$92,964	$99,750	107.3
34	Greensboro, NC	$92,771	$84,700	91.3
35	Denver, CO	$92,739	$104,610	112.8
36	Pittsburgh, PA	$92,459	$85,340	92.3
37	Detroit, MI	$92,387	$87,860	95.1
38	Phoenix, AZ	$90,477	$91,110	100.7
39	Boise, ID	$90,372	$92,270	102.1
40	Rochester, NY	$89,795	$83,420	92.9
41	Albuquerque, NM	$89,096	$83,750	94
42	Memphis, TN	$88,060	$73,970	84
43	Charlotte, NC	$87,611	$84,720	96.7
44	Milwaukee, WI	$87,556	$85,280	97.4
45	Columbus, OH	$86,907	$80,910	93.1
46	Las Vegas, NV	$85,872	$93,600	109
47	Philadelphia, PA	$85,659	$101,420	118.4
48	Washington, DC	$85,334	$130,390	152.8
49	Des Moines, IA	$84,887	$79,200	93.3
50	Boston, MA	$84,747	$128,900	152.1
51	San Diego, CA	$83,727	$134,130	160.2
52	Albany, NY	$83,555	$84,140	100.7
53	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$83,178	$101,810	122.4
54	Miami, FL	$82,478	$101,530	123.1
55	Sacramento, CA	$82,277	$102,600	124.7
56	Providence, RI	$81,491	$97,300	119.4
57	New Orleans, LA	$80,521	$77,220	95.9
58	San Jose, CA	$79,122	$154,920	195.8
59	Portland, OR	$76,211	$99,150	130.1
60	Knoxville, TN	$73,931	$66,760	90.3
61	San Francisco, CA	$72,790	$130,730	179.6
62	Anchorage, AK	$71,756	$91,130	127
63	New York, NY	$67,708	$126,750	187.2
64	Los Angeles, CA	$64,512	$107,090	166

Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose, CA pays the highest median Computer Programmer salary at $154,920. However, after cost-of-living adjustment, Spokane, WA offers the most purchasing power at $128,583 adjusted.

The national median Computer Programmer salary is $101,212 based on BLS data. Salaries range from $66,760 to $154,920 depending on city.

Not necessarily. A city with higher nominal pay may have a higher cost of living that offsets the salary difference. Compare the "COL-Adjusted" column in both tables above, cities with lower costs of living often offer better real purchasing power.