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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

15-1256 Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers

This occupation includes the the 2018 SOC occupations 15-1252 Software Developers and 15-1253 Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers and the 2010 SOC occupations 15-1132 Software Developers, Applications and 15-1133 Software Developers, Systems Software.

National estimates for Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
1,476,800 0.9 % $ 54.94 $ 114,270 0.7 %

Percentile wage estimates for Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 31.35 $ 40.39 $ 52.95 $ 67.53 $ 81.78
Annual Wage (2) $ 65,210 $ 84,020 $ 110,140 $ 140,470 $ 170,100

Industry profile for Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 480,840 21.86 $ 53.73 $ 111,770
Software Publishers 139,820 28.65 $ 58.96 $ 122,630
Management of Companies and Enterprises 76,470 3.16 $ 53.26 $ 110,790
Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services 53,000 14.76 $ 53.89 $ 112,090
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 44,650 2.93 $ 52.69 $ 109,600

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Software Publishers 139,820 28.65 $ 58.96 $ 122,630
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 480,840 21.86 $ 53.73 $ 111,770
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing 34,440 21.46 $ 70.10 $ 145,800
Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services 53,000 14.76 $ 53.89 $ 112,090
Communications Equipment Manufacturing 9,410 11.16 $ 55.67 $ 115,780

Top paying industries for Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Inland Water Transportation 40 0.16 $ 116.89 $ 243,130
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers 120 0.26 $ 89.94 $ 187,070
Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Stores 60 0.01 $ 70.49 $ 146,630
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing 34,440 21.46 $ 70.10 $ 145,800
Electronics and Appliance Stores 540 0.12 $ 65.95 $ 137,170

Geographic profile for Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Employment of Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers, by state, May 2020


States with the highest employment level in Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 249,700 15.20 1.43 $ 66.16 $ 137,620
Texas 113,140 9.35 0.88 $ 52.68 $ 109,570
Washington 99,630 31.18 2.94 $ 66.54 $ 138,400
New York 83,330 9.59 0.90 $ 58.80 $ 122,300
Virginia 77,260 20.87 1.97 $ 56.18 $ 116,850


Location Quotient of Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers, by state, May 2020


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington 99,630 31.18 2.94 $ 66.54 $ 138,400
Virginia 77,260 20.87 1.97 $ 56.18 $ 116,850
Colorado 48,230 18.71 1.76 $ 54.18 $ 112,700
Massachusetts 59,010 17.62 1.66 $ 57.59 $ 119,790
California 249,700 15.20 1.43 $ 66.16 $ 137,620


Annual mean wage of Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers, by state, May 2020


Top paying states for Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington 99,630 31.18 2.94 $ 66.54 $ 138,400
California 249,700 15.20 1.43 $ 66.16 $ 137,620
New York 83,330 9.59 0.90 $ 58.80 $ 122,300
Massachusetts 59,010 17.62 1.66 $ 57.59 $ 119,790
District of Columbia 8,110 11.80 1.11 $ 57.52 $ 119,630



Employment of Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers, by area, May 2020


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 104,470 11.83 1.11 $ 59.43 $ 123,600
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 92,710 47.40 4.46 $ 67.75 $ 140,930
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 77,900 70.63 6.65 $ 75.71 $ 157,480
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 75,910 25.12 2.37 $ 57.65 $ 119,920
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 64,310 27.59 2.60 $ 69.59 $ 144,740
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 60,310 10.36 0.98 $ 56.91 $ 118,360
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 57,950 22.27 2.10 $ 57.66 $ 119,940
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 52,490 14.63 1.38 $ 53.45 $ 111,180
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 47,040 10.78 1.02 $ 51.89 $ 107,920
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 41,810 15.88 1.50 $ 50.50 $ 105,050


Location Quotient of Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers, by area, May 2020


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 77,900 70.63 6.65 $ 75.71 $ 157,480
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 92,710 47.40 4.46 $ 67.75 $ 140,930
Boulder, CO 7,470 41.15 3.88 $ 56.10 $ 116,690
Bloomington, IL 2,750 33.36 3.14 $ 52.32 $ 108,830
Huntsville, AL 7,480 32.42 3.05 $ 53.96 $ 112,250
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 8,660 27.95 2.63 $ 51.44 $ 107,000
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 64,310 27.59 2.60 $ 69.59 $ 144,740
Madison, WI 9,710 25.40 2.39 $ 46.83 $ 97,400
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 75,910 25.12 2.37 $ 57.65 $ 119,920
Cedar Rapids, IA 3,360 24.47 2.30 $ 52.71 $ 109,640