Programmer
Programmer Salary
$25K - $35.5K
5% of jobs
$35.5K - $46K
8% of jobs
$53.3K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$46K - $56.5K
17% of jobs
$56.5K - $67K
12% of jobs
The median wage is $73.5K / yr.
$67K - $77.5K
12% of jobs
$77.5K - $88K
9% of jobs
$88K - $98.5K
9% of jobs
$101.4K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$98.5K - $109K
9% of jobs
$109K - $119.5K
7% of jobs
$119.5K - $130K
7% of jobs
$130K - $140.5K
5% of jobs
$25K
$76K
$142.5K
$82,234
/year
$39.54
/hour
Programmer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$82,234
Columbus
Ohio
$79,430
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How much does a Programmer make?
As of Jun 8, 2026, the average annual pay for a Programmer in the United States is $82,234 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $39.54 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,581/week or $6,852/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $142,500 and as low as $25,000, the majority of Programmer salaries currently range between $53,500 (25th percentile) to $107,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $131,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Programmer varies greatly (by as much as 53500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Programmer in your area makes on average $79,430 per year, or $2,804 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $82,234. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Programmer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Programmer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Programmer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Programmer Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Programmer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Scotts Valley, CA, , with Nome, AK, and Cupertino, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Cupertino, CA, beats the national average by $19,222 (23.4%), and Scotts Valley, CA, furthers that trend with another $24,185 (29.4%) above the $82,234 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Programmer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 9% between Scotts Valley, CA, and Menlo Park, CA, , 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 Programmer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Scotts Valley, CA | $106,419 | $51.16 |
Nome, AK | $102,011 | $49.04 |
Cupertino, CA | $101,456 | $48.78 |
Berkeley, CA | $100,691 | $48.41 |
Redwood City, CA | $100,684 | $48.41 |
Hanalei, HI | $99,444 | $47.81 |
Sitka, AK | $99,066 | $47.63 |
Wyoming, WY | $98,075 | $47.15 |
Los Altos, CA | $97,391 | $46.82 |
Menlo Park, CA | $96,910 | $46.59 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Programmer Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Programmer category.
For example Sr Machine Learning Engineer jobs pay as much as $44,323 (53.9%) more than the average Programmer salary of $82,234. If you're qualified, finding work as a Sr Machine Learning Engineer may help you make more money than that of the average Programmer position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Sr Machine Learning Engineer | $126,557 | $60.84 |
Progress Developer | $121,250 | $58.29 |
Analysis Engineer | $111,552 | $53.63 |
Automation Software Engineer | $99,524 | $47.85 |
Tooling Design Engineer | $90,449 | $43.49 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
