Contract Programmer Salary
$27K - $36.5K
17% of jobs
$36.5K - $46K
8% of jobs
$46.4K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$46K - $55.5K
9% of jobs
$55.5K - $65K
15% of jobs
The median wage is $65.8K / yr.
$65K - $74.5K
15% of jobs
$74.5K - $84K
6% of jobs
$88.4K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$84K - $93.5K
11% of jobs
$93.5K - $103K
11% of jobs
$103K - $112.5K
4% of jobs
$112.5K - $122K
2% of jobs
$122K - $131.5K
2% of jobs
$27K
$66.5K
$131.5K
$71,922
/year
$34.58
/hour
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How much does a Contract Programmer make?
As of Jul 20, 2026, the average annual pay for a Contract Programmer in the United States is $71,922 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $34.58 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,383/week or $5,993/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $131,500 and as low as $27,000, the majority of Contract Programmer salaries currently range between $47,000 (25th percentile) to $91,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $108,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Contract Programmer varies greatly (by as much as 44000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Contract Programmer in your area makes on average $0 per year, or $71,922 (100.000%) less than the national average annual salary of $71,922. Ohio ranks number 29 out of 50 states nationwide for Contract Programmer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Contract Programmer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Contract Programmer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Contract Programmer Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Contract Programmer job is above the national average. Topping the list is San Mateo, CA, , with San Francisco, CA, and Sunnyvale, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Sunnyvale, CA, beats the national average by $10,110 (14.1%), and San Mateo, CA, furthers that trend with another $10,975 (15.3%) above the $71,922 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Contract Programmer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 4% between San Mateo, CA, and Kentville, NS, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Contract Programmer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
San Mateo, CA | $82,897 | $39.85 |
San Francisco, CA | $82,751 | $39.78 |
Sunnyvale, CA | $82,032 | $39.44 |
Santa Clara, CA | $81,662 | $39.26 |
Fremont, CA | $81,420 | $39.14 |
Daly City, CA | $80,733 | $38.81 |
San Jose, CA | $80,272 | $38.59 |
Livermore, CA | $79,920 | $38.42 |
Barnstable Town, MA | $79,784 | $38.36 |
Kentville, NS | $79,239 | $38.10 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Contract Programmer Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Contract Programmer category.
For example Genetic Engineering jobs pay as much as $74,946 (104.2%) more than the average Contract Programmer salary of $71,922. If you're qualified, finding work as a Genetic Engineering may help you make more money than that of the average Contract Programmer position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Genetic Engineering | $146,868 | $70.61 |
Service Now Developer | $129,281 | $62.15 |
Urban Development | $77,438 | $37.23 |
Travel And Expenses Specialist | $55,467 | $26.67 |
Mori Associates | $39,013 | $18.76 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
