Computer Programmers: Pay by State and the Programs That Lead There

Q: Which state pays computer programmers the most?

Connecticut, at a median of $133,820. After adjusting for prices, Connecticut is highest, at $129,157 in US-average prices.

Q: What education do computer programmers need?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists bachelor's degree as the typical education to start. The federal crosswalk from fields of study to jobs links one program here to computer programmers: Management Information Systems (Bachelor's).

92,230 jobs in the US
Typical education to start: bachelor's degree
Occupation code 15-1251

BLS wages May 2025 · BLS projections 2025 to 2035 · BEA price parities 2024

The short answer

Computer programmers earn a median of $100,390 a year in the US, across all experience levels. Pay is highest in Connecticut ($133,820) and lowest in Puerto Rico ($51,310). After adjusting for prices, Connecticut is highest ($129,157) and South Dakota lowest ($65,744). Jobs are projected to shrink 7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 4,400 openings a year across the US.

Median pay$100,390US, all experience levels

Bottom 10% earn under$57,710US

Top 10% earn over$160,460US

Projected job decline7%2025 to 2035, about 4,400 openings a year

Pay for computer programmers by state

Median pay across all experience levels. "After prices" divides it by the state's price level (US average = 100), so states can be compared by what the pay buys.

#	State	Median pay	After prices	Jobs	Bottom 10%	Top 10%
1	Connecticut	$133,820	$129,157	1,650	$82,110	$141,920
2	Massachusetts	$128,390	$121,401	1,930	$77,060	$168,310
3	Washington	$125,620	$117,388	2,540	$84,760	$166,400
4	Maryland	$125,570	$119,637	2,490	$74,470	$158,880
5	Virginia	$121,610	$120,282	3,070	$67,010	$182,890
6	Hawaii	$118,180	$107,484	450	$75,450	$151,820
7	California	$116,760	$105,455	11,340	$70,310	$172,300
8	Arkansas	$111,840	$128,645	1,050	$63,520	$167,020
9	Minnesota	$107,250	$108,750	2,070	$52,740	$125,300
10	New Jersey	$104,940	$96,448	3,930	$65,000	$172,990
11	Utah	$104,890	$106,095	690	$62,930	$134,010
12	Colorado	$104,610	$101,512	930	$68,320	$199,830
13	New York	$103,980	$96,348	7,020	$65,970	$172,020
14	Maine	$101,780	$104,874	450	$72,930	$191,670
15	Oklahoma	$99,780	$113,589	990	$63,110	$249,600
16	South Carolina	$99,740	$106,390	790	$63,130	$135,250
17	Oregon	$99,540	$96,303	1,370	$77,080	$143,450
18	Texas	$99,330	$102,342	7,620	$60,120	$143,300
19	Georgia	$98,380	$102,167	1,890	$65,080	$138,320
20	Indiana	$97,000	$103,933	1,520	$67,360	$135,880
21	Rhode Island	$96,470	$94,320	250	$69,780	$144,480
22	Nebraska	$95,150	$105,601	1,090	$61,680	$154,500
23	Kentucky	$94,850	$105,203	950	$61,990	$140,460
24	Alabama	$93,800	$105,603	890	$58,100	$132,330
25	Nevada	$93,600	$93,620	840	$68,400	$131,910
26	Florida	$93,180	$90,104	4,760	$52,810	$138,770
27	Kansas	$92,960	$103,211	460	$59,940	$144,570
28	North Dakota	$92,280	$103,733	190	$59,530	$138,960
29	Alaska	$91,700	$89,587	530	$64,150	$138,530
30	Missouri	$90,420	$99,563	1,520	$54,760	$126,590
31	Montana	$89,920	$95,008	Not reported	$64,250	$123,110
32	Vermont	$89,560	$91,427	170	$61,400	$110,930
33	Pennsylvania	$89,180	$91,399	3,120	$60,070	$134,710
34	Idaho	$89,020	$93,221	Not reported	$62,820	$113,610
35	Arizona	$88,990	$88,392	1,560	$61,790	$164,410
36	Ohio	$85,270	$91,912	2,100	$51,030	$134,370
37	Mississippi	$85,120	$97,892	1,170	$46,500	$88,100
38	New Mexico	$83,750	$90,823	600	$55,500	$128,940
39	Wyoming	$81,640	$88,078	60	$47,880	$124,870
40	North Carolina	$81,070	$85,947	4,120	$26,170	$134,780
41	Iowa	$79,180	$90,221	950	$54,060	$128,520
42	New Hampshire	$74,000	$71,041	Not reported	$53,790	$124,920
43	Illinois	$72,540	$72,570	1,280	$50,640	$142,410
44	Michigan	$65,860	$68,449	4,400	$35,600	$127,850
45	West Virginia	$65,320	$72,986	140	$46,330	$123,320
46	South Dakota	$58,240	$65,744	70	$47,670	$106,820
47	Puerto Rico	$51,310	Not available	920	$31,980	$100,110

State names link to the state's college page. Puerto Rico has no BEA price level, so its pay is not adjusted. BLS publishes no median pay for computer programmers in Delaware, District of Columbia, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.

Programs that lead to this job

The federal crosswalk from fields of study to jobs links these programs to computer programmers. Figures are medians across each program type's US programs. Program names link to the national ranking.

Program	Programs	Year 1 pay	Debt
Management Information Systems (Bachelor's)	145	$59,373	$23,670

Program figures are first-year pay for new graduates. The job's median pay covers every experience level.

Common questions

Computer programmers earn a median of $100,390 a year in the US, across all experience levels (May 2025). The bottom 10% earn less than $57,710, and the top 10% more than $160,460.

About this data

Pay is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for May 2025. It covers all experience levels and all industries, and leaves out self-employed workers.
Projections are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections for 2025 to 2035, for the whole US.
Price levels are the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024.
Program figures are College Scorecard medians across programs, and only include students who received federal financial aid.

Sources

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study files, June 2026 release

Computer Programmers: Pay by State and the Programs That Lead There

Pay for computer programmers by state

Programs that lead to this job

Common questions

How much do computer programmers make?

Which state pays computer programmers the most?

What education do computer programmers need?

Are jobs for computer programmers growing?

About this data

Sources