Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2017

15-1132 Software Developers, Applications

Develop, create, and modify general computer applications software or specialized utility programs. Analyze user needs and develop software solutions. Design software or customize software for client use with the aim of optimizing operational efficiency. May analyze and design databases within an application area, working individually or coordinating database development as part of a team. May supervise computer programmers.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
849,230 1.3 % $51.30 $106,710 0.9 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $28.79 $37.36 $48.94 $62.00 $76.97
Annual Wage (2) $59,870 $77,710 $101,790 $128,960 $160,100


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 303,320 15.06 $50.57 $105,190
Software Publishers 85,160 23.19 $56.13 $116,740
Management of Companies and Enterprises 43,900 1.89 $49.35 $102,640
Other Information Services 35,500 12.83 $58.72 $122,140
Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services 29,520 9.61 $52.38 $108,950

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Software Publishers 85,160 23.19 $56.13 $116,740
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 303,320 15.06 $50.57 $105,190
Other Information Services 35,500 12.83 $58.72 $122,140
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing 18,080 11.24 $60.62 $126,080
Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services 29,520 9.61 $52.38 $108,950

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing 18,080 11.24 $60.62 $126,080
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities 14,280 1.56 $59.50 $123,760
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 8,660 1.81 $59.21 $123,160
Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing 730 4.04 $59.10 $122,920
Other Information Services 35,500 12.83 $58.72 $122,140


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 141,870 8.50 1.43 $60.80 $126,470
Texas 67,850 5.71 0.96 $51.58 $107,280
Washington 51,540 16.17 2.71 $63.19 $131,430
New York 49,190 5.34 0.90 $55.55 $115,530
New Jersey 43,760 10.92 1.83 $51.46 $107,040




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington 51,540 16.17 2.71 $63.19 $131,430
New Jersey 43,760 10.92 1.83 $51.46 $107,040
Colorado 27,210 10.65 1.79 $50.30 $104,620
Delaware 4,640 10.48 1.76 $49.16 $102,250
Virginia 35,960 9.49 1.59 $53.37 $111,010




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington 51,540 16.17 2.71 $63.19 $131,430
California 141,870 8.50 1.43 $60.80 $126,470
District of Columbia 2,400 3.39 0.57 $55.72 $115,900
New York 49,190 5.34 0.90 $55.55 $115,530
Maryland 12,710 4.77 0.80 $53.94 $112,190



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Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 57,910 8.65 1.45 $56.55 $117,620
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 48,750 44.77 7.51 $63.55 $132,170
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 47,920 29.09 4.88 $64.33 $133,810
San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division 30,120 26.98 4.53 $70.96 $147,590
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 28,820 11.44 1.92 $55.28 $114,990
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 26,100 10.48 1.76 $52.83 $109,880
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 23,870 9.11 1.53 $50.38 $104,780
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division 20,880 5.70 0.96 $46.47 $96,660
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA NECTA Division 20,290 11.03 1.85 $49.76 $103,490
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 17,030 11.80 1.98 $49.70 $103,370


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Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 48,750 44.77 7.51 $63.55 $132,170
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 47,920 29.09 4.88 $64.33 $133,810
Boulder, CO 4,980 27.89 4.68 $50.32 $104,670
San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division 30,120 26.98 4.53 $70.96 $147,590
Trenton, NJ 4,350 18.94 3.18 $49.91 $103,820
Framingham, MA NECTA Division 3,170 18.33 3.08 $56.61 $117,750
Nashua, NH-MA NECTA Division 2,310 17.46 2.93 $52.24 $108,670
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 4,280 14.33 2.40 $47.61 $99,030
Raleigh, NC 8,520 14.04 2.36 $48.54 $100,960
Austin-Round Rock, TX 13,680 13.73 2.30 $50.69 $105,430


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Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division 30,120 26.98 4.53 $70.96 $147,590
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 47,920 29.09 4.88 $64.33 $133,810
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 48,750 44.77 7.51 $63.55 $132,170
Silver Spring-Frederick-Rockville, MD Metropolitan Division 3,630 6.21 1.04 $60.70 $126,260
Oakland-Hayward-Berkeley, CA Metropolitan Division 10,010 8.80 1.48 $60.15 $125,120
San Rafael, CA Metropolitan Division 780 6.79 1.14 $59.26 $123,250
Napa, CA (8) (8) (8) $59.13 $123,000
Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 10,070 6.23 1.05 $58.23 $121,120
Taunton-Middleborough-Norton, MA NECTA Division 80 1.29 0.22 $57.56 $119,720
Dutchess County-Putnam County, NY Metropolitan Division 620 4.48 0.75 $57.14 $118,850

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 420 3.12 0.52 $40.49 $84,230
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 420 2.19 0.37 $38.73 $80,560
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 380 1.68 0.28 $40.88 $85,020
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 370 1.46 0.25 $38.75 $80,590
West Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 360 5.55 0.93 $45.47 $94,580

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 360 5.55 0.93 $45.47 $94,580
Southeast Idaho nonmetropolitan area 180 3.62 0.61 $55.34 $115,100
Southwest New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 130 3.40 0.57 $50.95 $105,970
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 330 3.38 0.57 $44.81 $93,200
Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area 160 3.25 0.55 $44.05 $91,630

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Idaho nonmetropolitan area 180 3.62 0.61 $55.34 $115,100
Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 80 1.16 0.20 $52.45 $109,090
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 110 1.01 0.17 $51.98 $108,120
Wasatch Back nonmetropolitan area 90 2.70 0.45 $51.76 $107,670
Southwest New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 130 3.40 0.57 $50.95 $105,970


About May 2017 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2017 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 30, 2018