Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Bachelor's degree
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These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Software developers work in a large, growing occupation with significant opportunities across the United States. National employment stands at 1,694,000, and projected employment growth of 15.8% suggests continued demand. With an estimated 115,000 annual openings, this field can offer options both for new entrants and for experienced professionals seeking new roles. The national median annual salary of $133,080 reflects strong earning potential. Top skills include computers and information technology, critical and analytical thinking, problem solving and decision making, writing and reading, and mathematics, supported by abilities in project management, creativity and innovation, detail orientation, mechanical skills, and science. Career paths may also connect to related occupations such as computer occupations (all other), computer network architects, and several types of engineers. Overall, software development combines a large job base, projected growth, and a broad skill profile, making it an attractive option for students, career changers, and professionals planning their next step.
Software developers have strong earning potential, with a national median annual salary of $133,080. Pay can vary significantly by location. Among the top states by opportunity score, median salaries range from $138,390 in Colorado up to $174,410 in California. Massachusetts, New York, and Washington also report median salaries above $160,000. At the metro level, the San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara area shows a particularly high median salary of $213,110, while San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont reaches $186,640. Other leading metros such as New York–Newark–Jersey City, Boston–Cambridge–Newton, and Washington–Arlington–Alexandria report median salaries between about $154,930 and $166,830. These figures indicate that location choices can have a substantial impact on compensation, and that top metros and states often combine higher salaries with strong opportunity scores, which may appeal to professionals willing to relocate or target specific markets.
Software developers benefit from a large employment base and notable projected expansion. National employment is 1,694,000, indicating many existing roles across employers and regions. Projected employment growth of 15.8% points to an expanding field, and 115,000 annual openings suggest ongoing hiring needs. These openings can come from both new job creation and turnover in existing positions, supporting opportunities for both new graduates and experienced professionals. The same 15.8% growth rate appears in the top states and metro areas by opportunity score, showing that this projected expansion is not limited to a single geography. For students planning degrees and for career changers investing in new skills, the combination of high employment, projected growth, and substantial annual openings makes software development a forward-looking career path to consider when planning long-term goals and job search strategies.
Location is an important factor for software developers, with several states and metros standing out. Among states, California leads the CareerGPS opportunity scores at 67.38, with a median salary of $174,410 and employment of 284,390. Massachusetts and New York follow closely with opportunity scores around 65.8 and median salaries above $165,000, while Washington and Colorado also offer notable scores above 56 and solid median pay. At the metro level, San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA, shows the highest opportunity score at 77.42, the highest median salary at $213,110, and employment of 87,350. The New York–Newark–Jersey City metro nearly matches that score at 77.27 with 121,000 employed developers. San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, and Boston–Cambridge–Newton also post strong opportunity scores above 63. Together, these figures highlight that certain metros and states combine higher salaries, larger employment bases, and competitive opportunity scores, giving job seekers several concentrated markets to target.
The typical education requirement for software developers is a bachelor’s degree, which aligns with the broad and technical skill set associated with this career. Foundational abilities in computers and information technology, mathematics, and science support the technical side of the role. Equally important are critical and analytical thinking, problem solving and decision making, and strong writing and reading skills, which contribute to understanding complex problems and communicating solutions. Project management skills help in organizing work and coordinating tasks, while creativity and innovation, along with being detail oriented, support producing effective and accurate results. Mechanical skills may also be relevant depending on the specific focus. Students and career changers considering this path can use this skill profile as a guide when choosing degree programs or professional development options, and professionals already in the field can use it to identify areas for continued growth or specialization.
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