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Software engineer salary in California

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Published by Humblebee.

$174,410median pay per year in California, or $83.85 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $105,060lowest 10% earn less
  2. $136,99025th percentile
  3. $174,410median
  4. $216,67075th percentile
  5. $272,670top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[2]US median for this job, $135,980[3]

The median pay for software engineers in California was $174,410 a year in May 2025[1]. That was $38,430 higher than the US median[6].

Jobs in CA
284,390[4]
Rank by median pay
1 of 50[5]
Compared with US median
+28.3%[6]

How much do software engineers make in California?

Half of software engineers in California earned more than $174,410 a year, and half earned less[1]. That works out to $83.85 an hour[1]. The average was a little higher at $186,770[7]. Across the US as a whole, the median was $135,980[3], so California came out 28.3% higher[6]. California had the 1st highest median for this job of the 49 states and DC with a published median[5]. For all jobs in the state, the median was $58,240[8], and software engineers were $116,170 above that[9].

At the low end, the lowest-paid 10% earned less than $105,060[2]. At the high end, the top-paid 10% earned more than $272,670[2]. The middle half of workers earned between $136,990 and $216,670[2].

Within the state, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara had the highest median, at $213,110[10]. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, the metro with the second most software engineer jobs, had a median of $186,640[11]. OEWS counts wage and salary workers only. It leaves out the self-employed, and its wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or the cost of benefits like health insurance[12].

California vs US pay

Pay for software engineers in California next to the national figures[1][3].

CAUS
Median per year$174,410[1]$135,980[3]
Median per hour$83.85[1]$65.38[3]
Lowest 10% earn less than$105,060[2]$82,460[13]
Top 10% earn more than$272,670[2]$214,670[13]
Jobs284,390[4]1,687,890[3]

Pay by metro area in California

Metro areas in California with the most jobs for software engineers, and the median pay in each[11].

Metro areaMedian per yearJobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA[11]$213,11087,350
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$186,64069,030
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$160,92055,540
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$163,27020,610
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$139,6407,460
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$133,2704,150
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$159,4302,170
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$158,2901,680

Pay in nearby states

Median pay for software engineers in the states that border California, highest first[14].

StateMedian per yearJobs
Oregon[14]$142,72021,830
Arizona$129,69038,050
Nevada$128,8104,520

Median pay for software engineers in every state

Job outlook and training

Across the US, jobs for software engineers are projected to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035[15]. BLS does not publish this projection by state. The typical education for entry is: bachelor's degree[16].

How to become one: steps, training and duties

Frequently asked questions

How much does a software engineer make in California?
The median was $174,410 a year in May 2025, and the average was $186,770[1][7].
How much does a software engineer make an hour in California?
The median was $83.85 an hour[1]. The 10th percentile was $50.51 an hour and the 90th percentile was $131.09[17].
Which city in California pays software engineers the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara had the highest median at $213,110[10]. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont was next among the biggest metros at $186,640[11].
Is California a good state for software engineers?
California had the 1st highest median annual wage for this job among the 49 states and DC with a published median[5]. Its median was 28.3% above the US median[6].
What do you need to become a software engineer in California?
This is a US figure, not a California one. Across the US, the typical entry path is a Bachelor's degree, with no work experience in a related job and no on-the-job training[16].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Software Developers in California was $174,410 per year and $83.85 per hour. Half of these workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Software Developers in California: 10th percentile $105,060, 25th percentile $136,990, 75th percentile $216,670, 90th percentile $272,670. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less, the 90th means 10% earned more. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Software Developers in the US as a whole was $135,980 per year and $65.38 per hour, with about 1,687,890 jobs nationwide. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 284,390 people worked as Software Developers in California (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: California had the 1st highest median annual wage for Software Developers out of the 49 states and DC with a published median (the highest of all). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Software Developers in California ($174,410) was $38,430 (28.3%) higher than the US median ($135,980). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Software Developers in California was $186,770 per year and $89.80 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in California was $58,240. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Software Developers in California was $116,170 higher than the median for all occupations in the state ($58,240). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS, May 2025: of the 24 metro areas in or partly in California with a published median for Software Developers, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA had the highest median annual wage, $213,110. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. Metro areas with the most jobs in this occupation, with median annual wage, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Software Developers in the US: 10th percentile $82,460, 25th percentile $105,210, 75th percentile $171,980, 90th percentile $214,670. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, median annual wage for Software Developers in states that border California (highest first): Oregon $142,720; Arizona $129,690; Nevada $128,810. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state): employment of Software Developers is projected to grow 10.2% nationwide from 2025 to 2035, with about 95,300 openings a year on average. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5%. BLS Employment Projections
  16. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state), typical path into Software Developers: education needed for entry: Bachelor's degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: None. BLS Employment Projections
  17. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Software Developers in California: 10th percentile $50.51, 25th percentile $65.86, 75th percentile $104.17, 90th percentile $131.09. BLS OEWS, May 2025

State figures cover only California. Job outlook and entry requirements are national (US) figures: BLS does not publish them by state in our sources. Figures labelled “CareerFacts calculation” are simple differences between the BLS numbers shown.