Highest Paying Cities for Software Developer (2025)
The median Software Developer salary is $213,110 in San Jose, CA, the highest-paying city for this role. After adjusting for cost of living, Memphis, TN offers the best purchasing power at $149,500 adjusted.
The 70 cities below are ranked by median wage for Software Developer, 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 Software Developer 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.
Ranked by Median Salary
| Rank | City | Median | Range (10th-90th) | COL Index | COL-Adjusted | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $213,110 | $138,420, $289,150 | 195.8 | $108,841 | 87,350 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $186,640 | $128,090, $273,400 | 179.6 | $103,920 | 69,030 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $167,280 | $99,190, $257,960 | 149.4 | $111,968 | 92,770 |
| 4 | New York, NY | $166,830 | $101,690, $224,590 | 187.2 | $89,119 | 121,000 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $166,090 | $102,950, $214,100 | 152.1 | $109,198 | 42,310 |
| 6 | San Diego, CA | $163,270 | $95,420, $223,260 | 160.2 | $101,916 | 20,610 |
| 7 | Bridgeport, CT | $162,650 | $102,200, $223,320 | 137.5 | $118,291 | 3,090 |
| 8 | Los Angeles, CA | $160,920 | $98,270, $223,150 | 166 | $96,940 | 55,540 |
| 9 | Portland, OR | $156,000 | $94,040, $213,540 | 130.1 | $119,908 | 18,260 |
| 10 | Washington, DC | $154,930 | $96,450, $213,660 | 152.8 | $101,394 | 69,060 |
| 11 | Sacramento, CA | $139,640 | $100,040, $209,140 | 124.7 | $111,981 | 7,460 |
| 12 | Baltimore, MD | $138,900 | $87,290, $223,550 | 114.2 | $121,629 | 16,850 |
| 13 | Denver, CO | $137,610 | $99,700, $209,300 | 112.8 | $121,995 | 27,010 |
| 14 | Charlotte, NC | $135,920 | $93,690, $172,360 | 96.7 | $140,558 | 20,820 |
| 15 | Chicago, IL | $134,380 | $83,820, $203,410 | 107.3 | $125,238 | 40,370 |
| 16 | Colorado Springs, CO | $134,280 | $86,540, $207,490 | 104.5 | $128,498 | 4,850 |
| 17 | Austin, TX | $134,120 | $96,110, $209,890 | 103 | $130,214 | 31,960 |
| 18 | Dallas, TX | $133,290 | $85,920, $179,400 | 104.1 | $128,040 | 67,030 |
| 19 | Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | $133,270 | $85,090, $205,760 | 122.4 | $108,881 | 4,150 |
| 20 | Philadelphia, PA | $133,040 | $82,960, $190,180 | 118.4 | $112,365 | 28,480 |
| 21 | Atlanta, GA | $132,960 | $83,400, $178,330 | 99.2 | $134,032 | 36,300 |
| 22 | Raleigh, NC | $132,770 | $80,080, $185,110 | 99.8 | $133,036 | 12,580 |
| 23 | Miami, FL | $132,650 | $80,440, $199,280 | 123.1 | $107,758 | 18,900 |
| 24 | Hartford, CT | $132,520 | $86,800, $176,390 | 112.6 | $117,691 | 6,010 |
| 25 | Richmond, VA | $132,120 | $84,290, $208,990 | 102.1 | $129,403 | 7,680 |
| 26 | Phoenix, AZ | $131,750 | $82,500, $180,460 | 100.7 | $130,834 | 29,380 |
| 27 | Boise, ID | $131,590 | $75,680, $172,170 | 102.1 | $128,883 | 3,240 |
| 28 | Minneapolis, MN | $130,920 | $83,020, $170,060 | 106.2 | $123,277 | 27,410 |
| 29 | Detroit, MI | $130,760 | $82,720, $167,490 | 95.1 | $137,497 | 24,870 |
| 30 | Providence, RI | $130,690 | $84,130, $172,090 | 119.4 | $109,456 | 5,020 |
| 31 | Spokane, WA | $130,690 | $80,670, $201,620 | 97.4 | $134,179 | 1,840 |
| 32 | Madison, WI | $130,630 | $82,790, $171,290 | 103.8 | $125,848 | 6,720 |
| 33 | Tampa, FL | $130,450 | $78,480, $207,330 | 99.6 | $130,974 | 14,230 |
| 34 | Jacksonville, FL | $130,330 | $80,720, $170,580 | 95.1 | $137,045 | 7,200 |
| 35 | Bakersfield, CA | $130,330 | $88,670, $203,810 | 100.6 | $129,553 | 740 |
| 36 | Las Vegas, NV | $129,940 | $75,530, $198,610 | 109 | $119,211 | 2,900 |
| 37 | Orlando, FL | $129,620 | $80,170, $176,800 | 103.1 | $125,723 | 13,440 |
| 38 | Salt Lake City, UT | $129,600 | $79,610, $177,090 | 101.4 | $127,811 | 19,040 |
| 39 | Houston, TX | $129,440 | $80,400, $181,770 | 96.5 | $134,135 | 22,940 |
| 40 | Fresno, CA | $129,060 | $78,060, $175,410 | 105.5 | $122,332 | 740 |
| 41 | St. Louis, MO | $129,030 | $77,730, $169,030 | 90 | $143,367 | 9,820 |
| 42 | San Antonio, TX | $128,430 | $80,560, $165,870 | 91.5 | $140,361 | 8,010 |
| 43 | Albany, NY | $127,910 | $80,800, $178,120 | 100.7 | $127,021 | 3,280 |
| 44 | Buffalo, NY | $127,850 | $79,080, $172,730 | 92.5 | $138,216 | 3,960 |
| 45 | Nashville, TN | $126,610 | $78,410, $169,070 | 100.3 | $126,231 | 7,750 |
| 46 | Des Moines, IA | $126,460 | $79,170, $168,180 | 93.3 | $135,541 | 4,240 |
| 47 | Reno, NV | $125,710 | $64,090, $173,780 | 106.5 | $118,038 | 1,200 |
| 48 | Memphis, TN | $125,580 | $77,520, $168,000 | 84 | $149,500 | 2,270 |
| 49 | Birmingham, AL | $125,410 | $74,110, $175,330 | 90.4 | $138,728 | 3,830 |
| 50 | Omaha, NE | $125,220 | $80,120, $162,800 | 91.8 | $136,405 | 3,920 |
| 51 | Greensboro, NC | $125,190 | $79,180, $169,110 | 91.3 | $137,119 | 1,710 |
| 52 | Kansas City, MO | $124,990 | $76,340, $169,440 | 95.4 | $131,017 | 12,160 |
| 53 | Pittsburgh, PA | $124,500 | $76,030, $191,710 | 92.3 | $134,886 | 10,320 |
| 54 | Milwaukee, WI | $123,730 | $77,740, $164,660 | 97.4 | $127,033 | 6,170 |
| 55 | Tucson, AZ | $123,710 | $79,090, $184,820 | 95.4 | $129,675 | 4,060 |
| 56 | Albuquerque, NM | $123,700 | $78,290, $182,580 | 94 | $131,596 | 2,280 |
| 57 | Lexington, KY | $123,510 | $79,770, $167,270 | 91.3 | $135,279 | 1,430 |
| 58 | Rochester, NY | $122,770 | $79,580, $170,170 | 92.9 | $132,153 | 4,650 |
| 59 | Oklahoma City, OK | $122,390 | $77,090, $173,010 | 86.5 | $141,491 | 3,820 |
| 60 | Columbus, OH | $122,340 | $80,130, $170,000 | 93.1 | $131,407 | 9,880 |
| 61 | Greenville, SC | $121,790 | $67,630, $197,880 | 90.1 | $135,172 | 2,070 |
| 62 | Knoxville, TN | $121,750 | $68,880, $161,870 | 90.3 | $134,828 | 2,390 |
| 63 | Cincinnati, OH | $121,420 | $78,790, $172,240 | 91.2 | $133,136 | 9,900 |
| 64 | Louisville, KY | $110,270 | $77,750, $163,350 | 90.2 | $122,251 | 2,770 |
| 65 | Tulsa, OK | $108,730 | $76,140, $166,580 | 86.8 | $125,265 | 1,960 |
| 66 | New Orleans, LA | $106,950 | $77,760, $161,260 | 95.9 | $111,522 | 940 |
| 67 | Indianapolis, IN | $106,870 | $76,990, $158,970 | 90.1 | $118,613 | 7,140 |
| 68 | Wichita, KS | $105,980 | $62,860, $152,500 | 84 | $126,167 | 2,040 |
| 69 | Little Rock, AR | $104,070 | $61,990, $154,030 | 88.2 | $117,993 | 1,590 |
| 70 | Anchorage, AK | $104,030 | $62,060, $136,460 | 127 | $81,913 | 320 |
Ranked by Purchasing Power (COL-Adjusted)
Cost-of-living adjusted salaries show where your Software Developer paycheck goes furthest. A lower COL index means your dollars stretch further.
| Rank | City | COL-Adjusted | Raw Median | COL Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Memphis, TN | $149,500 | $125,580 | 84 |
| 2 | St. Louis, MO | $143,367 | $129,030 | 90 |
| 3 | Oklahoma City, OK | $141,491 | $122,390 | 86.5 |
| 4 | Charlotte, NC | $140,558 | $135,920 | 96.7 |
| 5 | San Antonio, TX | $140,361 | $128,430 | 91.5 |
| 6 | Birmingham, AL | $138,728 | $125,410 | 90.4 |
| 7 | Buffalo, NY | $138,216 | $127,850 | 92.5 |
| 8 | Detroit, MI | $137,497 | $130,760 | 95.1 |
| 9 | Greensboro, NC | $137,119 | $125,190 | 91.3 |
| 10 | Jacksonville, FL | $137,045 | $130,330 | 95.1 |
| 11 | Omaha, NE | $136,405 | $125,220 | 91.8 |
| 12 | Des Moines, IA | $135,541 | $126,460 | 93.3 |
| 13 | Lexington, KY | $135,279 | $123,510 | 91.3 |
| 14 | Greenville, SC | $135,172 | $121,790 | 90.1 |
| 15 | Pittsburgh, PA | $134,886 | $124,500 | 92.3 |
| 16 | Knoxville, TN | $134,828 | $121,750 | 90.3 |
| 17 | Spokane, WA | $134,179 | $130,690 | 97.4 |
| 18 | Houston, TX | $134,135 | $129,440 | 96.5 |
| 19 | Atlanta, GA | $134,032 | $132,960 | 99.2 |
| 20 | Cincinnati, OH | $133,136 | $121,420 | 91.2 |
| 21 | Raleigh, NC | $133,036 | $132,770 | 99.8 |
| 22 | Rochester, NY | $132,153 | $122,770 | 92.9 |
| 23 | Albuquerque, NM | $131,596 | $123,700 | 94 |
| 24 | Columbus, OH | $131,407 | $122,340 | 93.1 |
| 25 | Kansas City, MO | $131,017 | $124,990 | 95.4 |
| 26 | Tampa, FL | $130,974 | $130,450 | 99.6 |
| 27 | Phoenix, AZ | $130,834 | $131,750 | 100.7 |
| 28 | Austin, TX | $130,214 | $134,120 | 103 |
| 29 | Tucson, AZ | $129,675 | $123,710 | 95.4 |
| 30 | Bakersfield, CA | $129,553 | $130,330 | 100.6 |
| 31 | Richmond, VA | $129,403 | $132,120 | 102.1 |
| 32 | Boise, ID | $128,883 | $131,590 | 102.1 |
| 33 | Colorado Springs, CO | $128,498 | $134,280 | 104.5 |
| 34 | Dallas, TX | $128,040 | $133,290 | 104.1 |
| 35 | Salt Lake City, UT | $127,811 | $129,600 | 101.4 |
| 36 | Milwaukee, WI | $127,033 | $123,730 | 97.4 |
| 37 | Albany, NY | $127,021 | $127,910 | 100.7 |
| 38 | Nashville, TN | $126,231 | $126,610 | 100.3 |
| 39 | Wichita, KS | $126,167 | $105,980 | 84 |
| 40 | Madison, WI | $125,848 | $130,630 | 103.8 |
| 41 | Orlando, FL | $125,723 | $129,620 | 103.1 |
| 42 | Tulsa, OK | $125,265 | $108,730 | 86.8 |
| 43 | Chicago, IL | $125,238 | $134,380 | 107.3 |
| 44 | Minneapolis, MN | $123,277 | $130,920 | 106.2 |
| 45 | Fresno, CA | $122,332 | $129,060 | 105.5 |
| 46 | Louisville, KY | $122,251 | $110,270 | 90.2 |
| 47 | Denver, CO | $121,995 | $137,610 | 112.8 |
| 48 | Baltimore, MD | $121,629 | $138,900 | 114.2 |
| 49 | Portland, OR | $119,908 | $156,000 | 130.1 |
| 50 | Las Vegas, NV | $119,211 | $129,940 | 109 |
| 51 | Indianapolis, IN | $118,613 | $106,870 | 90.1 |
| 52 | Bridgeport, CT | $118,291 | $162,650 | 137.5 |
| 53 | Reno, NV | $118,038 | $125,710 | 106.5 |
| 54 | Little Rock, AR | $117,993 | $104,070 | 88.2 |
| 55 | Hartford, CT | $117,691 | $132,520 | 112.6 |
| 56 | Philadelphia, PA | $112,365 | $133,040 | 118.4 |
| 57 | Sacramento, CA | $111,981 | $139,640 | 124.7 |
| 58 | Seattle, WA | $111,968 | $167,280 | 149.4 |
| 59 | New Orleans, LA | $111,522 | $106,950 | 95.9 |
| 60 | Providence, RI | $109,456 | $130,690 | 119.4 |
| 61 | Boston, MA | $109,198 | $166,090 | 152.1 |
| 62 | Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | $108,881 | $133,270 | 122.4 |
| 63 | San Jose, CA | $108,841 | $213,110 | 195.8 |
| 64 | Miami, FL | $107,758 | $132,650 | 123.1 |
| 65 | San Francisco, CA | $103,920 | $186,640 | 179.6 |
| 66 | San Diego, CA | $101,916 | $163,270 | 160.2 |
| 67 | Washington, DC | $101,394 | $154,930 | 152.8 |
| 68 | Los Angeles, CA | $96,940 | $160,920 | 166 |
| 69 | New York, NY | $89,119 | $166,830 | 187.2 |
| 70 | Anchorage, AK | $81,913 | $104,030 | 127 |
Frequently Asked Questions
San Jose, CA pays the highest median Software Developer salary at $213,110. However, after cost-of-living adjustment, Memphis, TN offers the most purchasing power at $149,500 adjusted.
The national median Software Developer salary is $132,684 based on BLS data. Salaries range from $104,030 to $213,110 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.
Other Technology Rankings
Rankings based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. COL adjustments use BEA Regional Price Parities.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2026.