Computer Programmers: salary, outlook & degrees
Create, modify, and test the code and scripts that allow computer applications to run. Work from specifications drawn up by software and web developers or other individuals. May develop and write computer programs to store, locate, and retrieve specific documents, data, and information.
Middle half $75,850–$130,680. 92,230 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
74% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $86,763.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 4,400 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Considerable preparation (usually a bachelor's).
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 31% | Computer Science |
| Computer And Information Systems | 7% | Computer and Information Sciences |
| Computer Engineering | 5% | Computer Engineering |
| Electrical Engineering | 5% | Electrical Engineering |
| Mathematics | 3% | Mathematics |
| Business Management And Administration | 2% | Business Administration |
| Computer Programming And Data Processing | 2% | Software and Media Applications · Computer Programming |
| General Business | 2% | Business |
| Biology | 2% | Biology |
| Mechanical Engineering | 2% | Mechanical Engineering |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| Connecticut | $133,820 |
| Massachusetts | $128,390 |
| Washington | $125,620 |
| Maryland | $125,570 |
| Virginia | $121,610 |
| Hawaii | $118,180 |
| California | $116,760 |
| Arkansas | $111,840 |
| Minnesota | $107,250 |
| New Jersey | $104,940 |
| Utah | $104,890 |
| Colorado | $104,610 |
| New York | $103,980 |
| Maine | $101,780 |
| Oklahoma | $99,780 |
| South Carolina | $99,740 |
| Oregon | $99,540 |
| Texas | $99,330 |
| Georgia | $98,380 |
| Indiana | $97,000 |
| Rhode Island | $96,470 |
| Nebraska | $95,150 |
| Kentucky | $94,850 |
| Alabama | $93,800 |
| Nevada | $93,600 |
| Florida | $93,180 |
| Kansas | $92,960 |
| North Dakota | $92,280 |
| Alaska | $91,700 |
| Missouri | $90,420 |
| Montana | $89,920 |
| Vermont | $89,560 |
| Pennsylvania | $89,180 |
| Idaho | $89,020 |
| Arizona | $88,990 |
| Ohio | $85,270 |
| Mississippi | $85,120 |
| New Mexico | $83,750 |
| Wyoming | $81,640 |
| North Carolina | $81,070 |
| Iowa | $79,180 |
| New Hampshire | $74,000 |
| Illinois | $72,540 |
| Michigan | $65,860 |
| West Virginia | $65,320 |
| South Dakota | $58,240 |
| PR | $51,310 |
Florida metro areas
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$101,530
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$100,140
- Tallahassee$72,680
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$100,450
- Jacksonville$99,050
- Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville$100,100
- Lakeland-Winter Haven$84,820
- North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota$78,730
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$130,390
- Richmond$112,690
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$103,070
- Roanoke$92,830
- Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford$87,100
- Charlottesville$109,770
California metro areas
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$107,090
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$130,730
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$134,130
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$154,920
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$102,600
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$101,810
- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara$109,690
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura$84,250
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Speaking
Knowledge used
- Computers and Electronics
- Mathematics
- Engineering and Technology
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
Work styles
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Innovation
- Cautiousness
People in this job tend to have Conventional (organizing), Investigative (analytical) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Computer Programmers: questions
How much do computer Programmers make?
Computer Programmers earn a U.S. median $100,390 a year; the middle half earn $75,850 to $130,680 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $83,527 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is computer Programmers a growing field?
BLS projects a decline of 7.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 4,400 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a computer Programmer?
BLS lists the typical entry education as bachelor's degree. In O*NET's survey, 89% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is computer Science (31%).
How much do computer Programmers make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $93,180 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $100,390 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 15-1251. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Computer Programmers: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/computer-programmers.