Median annual wage
$174,410
Official BLS data · Salary Explorer
Software Developer Salary in California
See the latest Software Developer salary data for California from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, including median and mean pay, wage percentiles, employment, U.S. comparison, and local-area estimates.
Mean annual wage
$186,770
Median hourly wage
$83.85
Employment
284,390
State vs. U.S.
California Salary Compared With the U.S.
The median annual wage for Software Developers in California is 28.3% higher than the national median in the same OEWS release.
California median$174,410
U.S. median$135,980
This comparison describes the reported wage difference. It does not by itself establish why the difference exists.
Wage distribution
Software Developers Salary Range in California
Percentiles show positions in the reported wage distribution. They are not direct measures of years of experience.
10th$105,060
25th$136,990
Median$174,410
75th$216,670
90th$272,670
Visual comparison
Wage Distribution at a Glance
This chart uses the same BLS annual wage percentiles shown above. Longer bars represent higher annual wage estimates.
Local comparison
Highest-Paying Areas for Software Developers in California
These are the highest median annual wages among the 20 matching metropolitan or nonmetropolitan areas available to this page from the same BLS release.
| Area | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $213,110 | $221,710 | 87,350 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $186,640 | $193,430 | 69,030 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $163,270 | $163,300 | 20,610 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $160,920 | $161,900 | 55,540 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $159,430 | $174,020 | 2,170 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $158,290 | $158,220 | 1,680 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $156,910 | $153,930 | 540 |
| Napa, CA | $153,130 | $154,740 | 130 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $148,630 | $152,280 | 560 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $139,640 | $152,930 | 7,460 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $139,040 | $151,700 | 140 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $138,550 | $147,640 | 570 |
| Vallejo, CA | $136,930 | $142,170 | 330 |
| Salinas, CA | $135,160 | $140,500 | 290 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $135,020 | $155,770 | 520 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $133,270 | $139,570 | 4,150 |
| Merced, CA | $132,120 | $137,840 | 80 |
| Yuba City, CA | $132,120 | $136,090 | 80 |
| Chico, CA | $131,360 | $135,490 | 150 |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $131,110 | $140,970 | 100 |
#1
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Median annual$213,110
Mean annual$221,710
Employment87,350
#2
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
Median annual$186,640
Mean annual$193,430
Employment69,030
#3
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
Median annual$163,270
Mean annual$163,300
Employment20,610
#4
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Median annual$160,920
Mean annual$161,900
Employment55,540
#5
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
Median annual$159,430
Mean annual$174,020
Employment2,170
#6
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
Median annual$158,290
Mean annual$158,220
Employment1,680
#7
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Median annual$156,910
Mean annual$153,930
Employment540
#8
Napa, CA
Median annual$153,130
Mean annual$154,740
Employment130
#9
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
Median annual$148,630
Mean annual$152,280
Employment560
#10
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
Median annual$139,640
Mean annual$152,930
Employment7,460
#11
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area
Median annual$139,040
Mean annual$151,700
Employment140
#12
Stockton-Lodi, CA
Median annual$138,550
Mean annual$147,640
Employment570
#13
Vallejo, CA
Median annual$136,930
Mean annual$142,170
Employment330
#14
Salinas, CA
Median annual$135,160
Mean annual$140,500
Employment290
#15
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
Median annual$135,020
Mean annual$155,770
Employment520
#16
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
Median annual$133,270
Mean annual$139,570
Employment4,150
#17
Merced, CA
Median annual$132,120
Mean annual$137,840
Employment80
#18
Yuba City, CA
Median annual$132,120
Mean annual$136,090
Employment80
#19
Chico, CA
Median annual$131,360
Mean annual$135,490
Employment150
#20
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area
Median annual$131,110
Mean annual$140,970
Employment100
Area estimates can include metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. Cross-state metropolitan areas may span more than one state.
How Much Do Software Developers Make in California?
According to the OEWS figures used on this page, the median annual wage for Software Developers in California is $174,410, while the mean annual wage is $186,770. The employment estimate is 284,390. These measures describe the occupation in the BLS dataset and should not be read as a guaranteed salary for an individual worker.
How California Compares With the U.S.
The national median in the same release is $135,980. That puts the California median about 28.3% above the U.S. median. This is a direct comparison of reported wage estimates; the data alone do not establish the reasons for the difference.
How to Read the Wage Percentiles
The annual wage distribution runs from $105,060 at the 10th percentile to $272,670 at the 90th percentile. Percentiles describe positions in the wage distribution. They should not automatically be treated as experience levels, so the 10th percentile is not necessarily an entry-level salary.
How to Use This Data
Use the state median, national comparison, wage percentiles, and local-area estimates together when researching pay. Actual compensation can vary by employer, schedule, specialty, experience, and other factors not directly measured on this page. The calculator provides a simple gross-pay conversion and is an estimate rather than a prediction of take-home pay.
Tool
Salary Calculator
Convert hourly and annual gross pay for a simple 40-hour-week benchmark. This does not estimate taxes, overtime, bonuses, benefits, or deductions.
Calculated annual equivalents may differ slightly from published BLS annual wages because hourly figures are rounded.
Quick answers
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median salary for Software Developer in California?
The median annual wage in the May 2025 OEWS data shown on this page is $174,410.
What is the median hourly wage?
The median hourly wage shown for Software Developers in California is $83.85.
Is the 10th percentile an entry-level salary?
No. The 10th percentile describes a point in the wage distribution; OEWS does not make it a direct measure of experience level.
How often is this page checked?
Curiworld Data checks the source on a scheduled basis and records the last successful update. New values are validated before they are approved for indexing.
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Transparency
Methodology & Sources
Primary source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS).
Data period: May 2025
Last successful update: Aug 28, 2026
How it is produced: Curiworld Data retrieves official BLS datasets, validates required fields and unexpected changes, calculates comparisons, and presents the results in a readable format. Automated refreshes do not overwrite human-edited explanatory text.