Computer Programmers Salary 2025: $101,212 Median Pay (BLS OEWS)
$101,212 per year is the national median annual wage for computer programmers (BLS OEWS, May 2025 reference period). That works out to about $49/hour, with a 10th–90th percentile range of $81,750 to $202,640. The Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies this role under SOC code 15-1251.
Key Facts (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
- Median annual wage
- $101,212
- Median hourly wage
- $49/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $111,329
- Total US employment
- 50,250
- Top-paying metro
- San Jose, CA, CA ($154,920)
- BLS SOC code
- 15-1251
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release.
Computer Programmer (SOC 15-1251) is a high-paying U.S. occupation: national median wage of $101,212 across 50,250 reported workers per the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey.
Geographic wage spread is wide: across the 64 cities reporting data, median Computer Programmer wages range from $66,760 to $154,920 — roughly 132% above the floor. The spread reflects cost-of-living, regional supply-and-demand, and industry-mix differences. Computer Programmer sits in the Technology category — occupations with high national wage premiums driven by sustained labor-demand growth. Tech roles tend to show wider geographic spreads than other categories because remote-friendly hiring lets high-paying coastal employers compete for workers anywhere.
Salary Range (BLS Percentiles)
Computer Programmers salaries range from $66,760 to $154,920 median across cities, depending on location, experience, and industry.
Computer Programmers Salary by City (BLS OEWS)
| City | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | COL-Adjusted | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $81,750 | $111,018 | $154,920 | $178,780 | $202,640 | $79,122 | 980 |
| Hartford, CT | $84,850 | $107,678 | $141,920 | $141,920 | $141,920 | $126,039 | 1,150 |
| San Diego, CA | $71,010 | $96,258 | $134,130 | $156,530 | $178,930 | $83,727 | 1,600 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $85,290 | $103,490 | $130,790 | $151,965 | $173,140 | $95,120 | 0 |
| San Francisco, CA | $74,110 | $96,758 | $130,730 | $152,750 | $174,770 | $72,790 | 2,440 |
| Washington, DC | $67,010 | $92,362 | $130,390 | $157,525 | $184,660 | $85,334 | 2,680 |
| Boston, MA | $78,940 | $98,924 | $128,900 | $148,610 | $168,320 | $84,747 | 1,600 |
| New York, NY | $76,000 | $96,300 | $126,750 | $150,325 | $173,900 | $67,708 | 6,670 |
| Spokane, WA | $75,470 | $95,378 | $125,240 | $125,240 | $125,240 | $128,583 | 0 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $61,590 | $84,154 | $118,000 | $121,650 | $125,300 | $111,111 | 1,570 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $48,610 | $75,974 | $117,020 | $148,515 | $180,010 | $111,981 | 60 |
| Richmond, VA | $61,540 | $82,000 | $112,690 | $137,785 | $162,880 | $110,372 | 310 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $70,390 | $86,750 | $111,290 | $123,980 | $136,670 | $109,753 | 370 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $61,700 | $79,856 | $107,090 | $133,775 | $160,460 | $64,512 | 3,400 |
| Baltimore, MD | $70,330 | $84,766 | $106,420 | $142,630 | $178,840 | $93,187 | 780 |
| Louisville, KY | $66,260 | $81,776 | $105,050 | $122,755 | $140,460 | $116,463 | 0 |
| Denver, CO | $73,040 | $85,668 | $104,610 | $134,060 | $163,510 | $92,739 | 540 |
| Reno, NV | $68,400 | $82,720 | $104,200 | $131,180 | $158,160 | $97,840 | 70 |
| Birmingham, AL | $64,670 | $80,302 | $103,750 | $120,095 | $136,440 | $114,768 | 120 |
| Sacramento, CA | $67,200 | $81,360 | $102,600 | $134,950 | $167,300 | $82,277 | 580 |
| Dallas, TX | $67,110 | $81,162 | $102,240 | $124,035 | $145,830 | $98,213 | 3,260 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $67,360 | $81,244 | $102,070 | $126,105 | $150,140 | $113,285 | 550 |
| Atlanta, GA | $70,200 | $82,884 | $101,910 | $120,445 | $138,980 | $102,732 | 1,260 |
| Kansas City, MO | $63,110 | $78,598 | $101,830 | $117,710 | $133,590 | $106,740 | 500 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | $63,630 | $78,902 | $101,810 | $123,340 | $144,870 | $83,178 | 390 |
| Cincinnati, OH | $62,550 | $78,186 | $101,640 | $122,150 | $142,660 | $111,447 | 410 |
| Miami, FL | $62,690 | $78,226 | $101,530 | $121,260 | $140,990 | $82,478 | 1,100 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $58,280 | $75,536 | $101,420 | $136,935 | $172,450 | $85,659 | 1,770 |
| Austin, TX | $59,360 | $75,896 | $100,700 | $137,920 | $175,140 | $97,767 | 0 |
| Orlando, FL | $49,030 | $69,598 | $100,450 | $116,975 | $133,500 | $97,430 | 540 |
| Tampa, FL | $38,900 | $63,396 | $100,140 | $146,615 | $193,090 | $100,542 | 830 |
| Little Rock, AR | $62,820 | $77,720 | $100,070 | $117,410 | $134,750 | $113,458 | 350 |
| Chicago, IL | $62,830 | $77,598 | $99,750 | $126,345 | $152,940 | $92,964 | 650 |
| Greenville, SC | $65,410 | $79,054 | $99,520 | $140,070 | $180,620 | $110,455 | 130 |
| Fresno, CA | $56,960 | $73,924 | $99,370 | $120,540 | $141,710 | $94,190 | 110 |
| Portland, OR | $77,080 | $85,908 | $99,150 | $121,300 | $143,450 | $76,211 | 820 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $60,870 | $76,142 | $99,050 | $128,825 | $158,600 | $104,154 | 280 |
| Madison, WI | $64,860 | $77,880 | $97,410 | $130,450 | $163,490 | $93,844 | 280 |
| Providence, RI | $71,020 | $81,532 | $97,300 | $124,160 | $151,020 | $81,491 | 290 |
| St. Louis, MO | $63,230 | $76,706 | $96,920 | $114,520 | $132,120 | $107,689 | 660 |
| Houston, TX | $56,180 | $72,284 | $96,440 | $120,975 | $145,510 | $99,938 | 1,340 |
| Omaha, NE | $64,740 | $76,904 | $95,150 | $126,530 | $157,910 | $103,649 | 640 |
| Buffalo, NY | $69,590 | $79,458 | $94,260 | $109,780 | $125,300 | $101,903 | 430 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $67,510 | $77,946 | $93,600 | $112,725 | $131,850 | $85,872 | 740 |
| Wichita, KS | $60,540 | $73,508 | $92,960 | $138,395 | $183,830 | $110,667 | 70 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $62,060 | $74,352 | $92,790 | $130,750 | $168,710 | $107,272 | 420 |
| Boise, ID | $57,250 | $71,258 | $92,270 | $123,735 | $155,200 | $90,372 | 0 |
| Anchorage, AK | $66,780 | $76,520 | $91,130 | $114,170 | $137,210 | $71,756 | 320 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $62,040 | $73,668 | $91,110 | $131,305 | $171,500 | $90,477 | 0 |
| Lexington, KY | $67,900 | $77,080 | $90,850 | $114,095 | $137,340 | $99,507 | 130 |
| Tucson, AZ | $61,750 | $72,646 | $88,990 | $108,805 | $128,620 | $93,281 | 230 |
| Detroit, MI | $59,400 | $70,784 | $87,860 | $112,250 | $136,640 | $92,387 | 1,380 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $56,290 | $67,910 | $85,340 | $106,915 | $128,490 | $92,459 | 420 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $56,910 | $68,258 | $85,280 | $107,360 | $129,440 | $87,556 | 580 |
| Charlotte, NC | $48,110 | $62,754 | $84,720 | $113,930 | $143,140 | $87,611 | 670 |
| Greensboro, NC | $56,260 | $67,636 | $84,700 | $103,725 | $122,750 | $92,771 | 190 |
| Albany, NY | $64,990 | $72,650 | $84,140 | $98,620 | $113,100 | $83,555 | 1,430 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $55,500 | $66,800 | $83,750 | $102,560 | $121,370 | $89,096 | 370 |
| Rochester, NY | $56,680 | $67,376 | $83,420 | $107,840 | $132,260 | $89,795 | 290 |
| Columbus, OH | $51,270 | $63,126 | $80,910 | $104,535 | $128,160 | $86,907 | 410 |
| Des Moines, IA | $53,990 | $64,074 | $79,200 | $105,690 | $132,180 | $84,887 | 320 |
| New Orleans, LA | $37,690 | $53,502 | $77,220 | $86,795 | $96,370 | $80,521 | 550 |
| Memphis, TN | $47,770 | $58,250 | $73,970 | $104,380 | $134,790 | $88,060 | 110 |
| Knoxville, TN | $46,790 | $54,778 | $66,760 | $84,465 | $102,170 | $73,931 | 110 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
The national median salary for Computer Programmer is $101,212 as of 2025. The national mean (average) is $111,329. Salaries range from $66,760 to $154,920 depending on city and cost of living.
Computer Programmer salaries vary significantly by metro area. The highest-paying cities offer median salaries well above the national average of $101,212, though cost of living should be factored in. Check the city breakdown table above for COL-adjusted figures.
There are approximately 50,250 Computer Programmer positions in the US across 64 metropolitan areas tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Computer Programmer positions at the 90th percentile earn significantly more than the median, suggesting strong income growth potential with experience and specialization. The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile indicates the impact that skills, location, and seniority have on compensation.
Salary data from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. COL adjustments use BEA Regional Price Parities.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2026.