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Software engineer salary in New York

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

$166,180median pay per year in New York, or $79.89 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $97,430lowest 10% earn less
  2. $127,16025th percentile
  3. $166,180median
  4. $205,54075th percentile
  5. $224,590top 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 New York was $166,180 a year in May 2025[1]. That was $30,200 higher than the US median[6].

Jobs in NY
113,510[4]
Rank by median pay
3 of 50[5]
Compared with US median
+22.2%[6]

How much do software engineers make in New York?

Software engineers in New York had a median wage of $166,180 a year, or $79.89 an hour[1]. Half of them earned more than that and half earned less. The average was $163,820 a year[7]. About 113,510 people held these jobs in the state[4].

The US median for this job was $135,980 a year[3], so New York ran $30,200 (22.2%) higher[6]. Across all jobs in New York the median was $59,670[8]. Software engineers earned $106,510 more than that[9]. New York had the 3rd highest median for this job among the 49 states and DC with a published median[5].

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $97,430, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $224,590[2]. In metro areas, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ had the highest median, $166,830[10]. Rochester was at $122,770 and Buffalo-Cheektowaga at $127,850[11]. These figures cover wage and salary workers. Self-employed workers are left out, and so are bonuses outside regular production pay and the cost of benefits like health insurance[12].

New York vs US pay

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

NYUS
Median per year$166,180[1]$135,980[3]
Median per hour$79.89[1]$65.38[3]
Lowest 10% earn less than$97,430[2]$82,460[13]
Top 10% earn more than$224,590[2]$214,670[13]
Jobs113,510[4]1,687,890[3]

Pay by metro area in New York

Metro areas in New York with the most jobs for software engineers, and the median pay in each[11]. A metro area that crosses state lines is counted as a whole.

Metro areaMedian per yearJobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ[11]$166,830121,000
Rochester, NY$122,7704,650
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY$127,8503,960
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY$127,9103,280
Syracuse, NY$129,1002,180
Binghamton, NY$128,4601,070
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY$145,8301,010
Utica-Rome, NY$113,390610

Pay in nearby states

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

StateMedian per yearJobs
Massachusetts[14]$165,21048,190
New Jersey$135,94051,570
Connecticut$134,12013,660
Pennsylvania$126,55055,920
Vermont$125,2801,740

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 New York?
The median was $166,180 a year in May 2025[1]. The average was $163,820 a year[7].
How much does a software engineer make an hour in New York?
The median was $79.89 an hour[1]. The 10th percentile was $46.84 an hour and the 90th was $107.97[17].
Which city in New York pays software engineers the most?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ had the highest median among 12 metro areas with a published median, at $166,830 a year[10].
Is New York a good state for software engineers?
New York had the 3rd highest median annual wage for this job among the 49 states and DC with a published median[5]. Its median was $30,200 above the US median[6].
What do you need to become a software engineer in New York?
Across the US, the typical entry path is a Bachelor's degree, with no work experience in a related occupation and no on-the-job training needed[16]. This is a US figure, not one for New York.

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Software Developers in New York was $166,180 per year and $79.89 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 New York: 10th percentile $97,430, 25th percentile $127,160, 75th percentile $205,540, 90th percentile $224,590. 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 113,510 people worked as Software Developers in New York (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: New York had the 3rd highest median annual wage for Software Developers out of the 49 states and DC with a published median. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Software Developers in New York ($166,180) was $30,200 (22.2%) higher than the US median ($135,980). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Software Developers in New York was $163,820 per year and $78.76 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in New York was $59,670. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Software Developers in New York was $106,510 higher than the median for all occupations in the state ($59,670). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS, May 2025: of the 12 metro areas in or partly in New York with a published median for Software Developers, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ had the highest median annual wage, $166,830. 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 New York (highest first): Massachusetts $165,210; New Jersey $135,940; Connecticut $134,120; Pennsylvania $126,550; Vermont $125,280. 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 New York: 10th percentile $46.84, 25th percentile $61.13, 75th percentile $98.82, 90th percentile $107.97. BLS OEWS, May 2025

State figures cover only New York. 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.