# Computer Programmers

SOC 15-1251. Page: https://educationguide.com/careers/computer-programmers

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.

## Pay and outlook
- U.S. median wage $100,390 (middle half $75,850–$130,680; BLS May 2025)
- Ages 25-34: median $83,527; 74% hold a bachelor's or higher (Census ACS 2020-2024)
- Jobs 2025-35: -7.3%; ~4.4k openings a year; typical entry: Bachelor's degree

## Fields of degree of young workers (ages 25-34, bachelor's+)
- Computer Science: 31% (https://educationguide.com/degrees/computer-science)
- Computer And Information Systems: 7% (https://educationguide.com/degrees/computer-and-information-sciences)
- Computer Engineering: 5% (https://educationguide.com/degrees/computer-engineering)
- Electrical Engineering: 5% (https://educationguide.com/degrees/electrical-engineering)
- Mathematics: 3% (https://educationguide.com/degrees/mathematics)
- Business Management And Administration: 2% (https://educationguide.com/degrees/business-administration)
- Computer Programming And Data Processing: 2% (https://educationguide.com/degrees/software-and-media-applications, https://educationguide.com/degrees/computer-programming)
- General Business: 2% (https://educationguide.com/degrees/business)
- Biology: 2% (https://educationguide.com/degrees/biology)
- Mechanical Engineering: 2% (https://educationguide.com/degrees/mechanical-engineering)

## Median wage by state
- AK: $91,700
- AL: $93,800
- AR: $111,840
- AZ: $88,990
- CA: $116,760
- CO: $104,610
- CT: $133,820
- FL: $93,180
- GA: $98,380
- HI: $118,180
- IA: $79,180
- ID: $89,020
- IL: $72,540
- IN: $97,000
- KS: $92,960
- KY: $94,850
- MA: $128,390
- MD: $125,570
- ME: $101,780
- MI: $65,860
- MN: $107,250
- MO: $90,420
- MS: $85,120
- MT: $89,920
- NC: $81,070
- ND: $92,280
- NE: $95,150
- NH: $74,000
- NJ: $104,940
- NM: $83,750
- NV: $93,600
- NY: $103,980
- OH: $85,270
- OK: $99,780
- OR: $99,540
- PA: $89,180
- PR: $51,310
- RI: $96,470
- SC: $99,740
- SD: $58,240
- TX: $99,330
- UT: $104,890
- VA: $121,610
- VT: $89,560
- WA: $125,620
- WV: $65,320
- WY: $81,640

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#careers

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0). O*NET data: CC BY 4.0, O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA).