System Programmer Salary in California
$35.5K - $47.9K
6% of jobs
$47.9K - $60.2K
8% of jobs
$60.2K - $72.5K
10% of jobs
$73.4K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$72.5K - $84.9K
12% of jobs
The median wage is $96.4K / yr.
$84.9K - $97.2K
14% of jobs
$97.2K - $109.5K
10% of jobs
$109.5K - $121.9K
10% of jobs
$126.3K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$121.9K - $134.2K
10% of jobs
$134.2K - $146.6K
7% of jobs
$146.6K - $158.9K
9% of jobs
$158.9K - $171.2K
3% of jobs
$35.5K
$98.2K
$168.8K
$102,115
/year
$49.09
/hour
System Programmer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$103,470
California
California
$102,115
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How much does a System Programmer make in California?
As of Sep 7, 2026, the average annual pay for a System Programmer in California is $102,115 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $49.09 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,963/week or $8,509/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $168,760 and as low as $35,529, the majority of System Programmer salaries currently range between $74,000 (25th percentile) to $127,800 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $152,476 annually in California. The average pay range for a System Programmer varies greatly (by as much as 53800), 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 System Programmer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for System Programmer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a System Programmer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for System Programmer Jobs in California
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a System Programmer job is above the average in California in California. Topping the list is Larkspur, , with Berkeley, and Bodega Bay, close behind in the second and third positions. Bodega Bay, beats the average in California by $20,679 (20.3%), and Larkspur, furthers that trend with another $24,841 (24.3%) above the $102,115 average.
With these 10 cities paying on average above the average for California, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a System Programmer 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 Larkspur, and Santa Cruz, , 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 System Programmer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Larkspur | $126,956 | $61.04 |
Berkeley | $126,693 | $60.91 |
Bodega Bay | $122,794 | $59.04 |
Mountain View | $122,062 | $58.68 |
San Francisco | $121,906 | $58.61 |
Santa Clara | $121,519 | $58.42 |
Sunnyvale | $121,438 | $58.38 |
San Jose | $121,266 | $58.30 |
Martinez | $120,552 | $57.96 |
Santa Cruz | $119,473 | $57.44 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related System Programmer Jobs in California
Analyzing similar jobs related to the System Programmer job category in California, we found 5 that were relevant. However, none pay more than the $102115 state average for System Programmer jobs.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Application Developer Iii | $108,056 | $51.95 |
Systems Developer | $100,298 | $48.22 |
Contract Controls Engineer | $95,309 | $45.82 |
Delivery Engineer | $93,157 | $44.79 |
Junior Automation Engineer | $73,473 | $35.32 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
