Programming Salary in California
$24.7K - $35.5K
5% of jobs
$35.5K - $46.4K
6% of jobs
$46.4K - $57.2K
10% of jobs
$60.3K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$57.2K - $68.1K
12% of jobs
$68.1K - $79K
14% of jobs
The median wage is $80.9K / yr.
$79K - $89.8K
12% of jobs
$89.8K - $100.7K
10% of jobs
$107K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$100.7K - $111.5K
7% of jobs
$111.5K - $122.4K
10% of jobs
$122.4K - $133.2K
8% of jobs
$133.2K - $144.1K
4% of jobs
$24.7K
$84.9K
$146.6K
$87,782
/year
$42.20
/hour
Programming Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$88,946
California
California
$87,782
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How much does a Programming make in California?
As of Aug 17, 2026, the average annual pay for a Programming in California is $87,782 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $42.20 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,688/week or $7,315/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $146,555 and as low as $24,673, the majority of Programming salaries currently range between $61,700 (25th percentile) to $114,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $132,245 annually in California. The average pay range for a Programming varies greatly (by as much as 52800), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
California ranks number 50 out of 50 states nationwide for Programming salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Programming jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Programming on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Programming Jobs in California
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Programming job is above the average in California in California. Topping the list is Berkeley, , with Cupertino, and Redwood City, close behind in the second and third positions. Redwood City, beats the average in California by $21,120 (24.1%), and Berkeley, furthers that trend with another $22,436 (25.6%) above the $87,782 average.
With these 10 cities paying on average above the average for California, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Programming appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 7% between Berkeley, and Hayward, , 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 Programming role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Berkeley | $110,218 | $52.99 |
Cupertino | $109,737 | $52.76 |
Redwood City | $108,902 | $52.36 |
Pittsburg | $105,053 | $50.51 |
San Francisco | $104,794 | $50.38 |
Silicon Valley | $104,626 | $50.30 |
Santa Clara | $104,462 | $50.22 |
San Jose | $104,244 | $50.12 |
Albany | $104,044 | $50.02 |
Hayward | $102,738 | $49.39 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Programming Jobs in California
Analyzing similar jobs related to the Programming job category in California, we found 5 that were relevant. However, none pay more than the $87782 state average for Programming jobs.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Embedded Software Engineer | $151,375 | $72.78 |
Full Stack Net Developer | $115,396 | $55.48 |
Software Implementation Engineer | $105,527 | $50.73 |
Scientific Software Developer | $101,157 | $48.63 |
Remote Entry Level Software Developer | $98,952 | $47.57 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
