Software Developer Contractor Salary
$48K - $59K
2% of jobs
$59K - $70K
5% of jobs
$70K - $81K
9% of jobs
$90K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$81K - $92K
12% of jobs
$92K - $103K
15% of jobs
The median wage is $109.4K / yr.
$103K - $114K
14% of jobs
$114K - $125K
14% of jobs
$129.4K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$125K - $136K
12% of jobs
$136K - $147K
9% of jobs
$147K - $158K
5% of jobs
$158K - $169K
4% of jobs
$48K
$110K
$166.5K
$111,845
/year
$53.77
/hour
Software Developer Contractor Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$111,845
Columbus
Ohio
$108,031
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How much does a Software Developer Contractor make?
As of Jun 11, 2026, the average annual pay for a Software Developer Contractor in the United States is $111,845 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $53.77 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,150/week or $9,320/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $166,500 and as low as $48,000, the majority of Software Developer Contractor salaries currently range between $90,000 (25th percentile) to $130,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $151,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Software Developer Contractor varies greatly (by as much as 40000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Software Developer Contractor in your area makes on average $108,031 per year, or $3,814 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $111,845. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Software Developer Contractor salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Software Developer Contractor jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Software Developer Contractor on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Software Developer Contractor Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Software Developer Contractor job is above the national average. Topping the list is Barrow, AK, , with Cupertino, CA, and Berkeley, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Berkeley, CA, beats the national average by $25,103 (22.4%), and Barrow, AK, furthers that trend with another $27,489 (24.6%) above the $111,845 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Software Developer Contractor appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 6% between Barrow, AK, and Buford, WY, , 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 Software Developer Contractor role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Barrow, AK | $139,334 | $66.99 |
Cupertino, CA | $137,988 | $66.34 |
Berkeley, CA | $136,948 | $65.84 |
Redwood City, CA | $136,938 | $65.84 |
Sitka, AK | $134,737 | $64.78 |
San Francisco, CA | $131,773 | $63.35 |
Stanford, CA | $131,413 | $63.18 |
Santa Clara, CA | $131,355 | $63.15 |
Sunnyvale, CA | $131,267 | $63.11 |
Buford, WY | $131,209 | $63.08 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Software Developer Contractor Jobs in the U.S.
Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Software Developer Contractor job category, we found that Senior Stress Engineer jobs have average salaries greater than Software Developer Contractor jobs.
Significantly, Senior Stress Engineer jobs pay $14,712 (13.2%) more than the average Software Developer Contractor salary of $111,845. If you're qualified, finding work as a Senior Stress Engineer may help you make more money than that of the average Software Developer Contractor position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Senior Stress Engineer | $126,557 | $60.84 |
Electrical Engineer Renewable Energy | $111,091 | $53.41 |
Project Engineer | $90,644 | $43.58 |
Project Quality Engineer | $84,039 | $40.40 |
Lng Plant Operator | $46,521 | $22.37 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
