Software Developers Average Salary in Washington
$171,040 average · $171,040 median · BLS OEWS 2025
SOC Code: 15-1252What is this?
Professional in software developers
How much do Software Developers make in Washington?
The average software developers salary in Washington is $171,040 per year. That works out to about $82.23 per hour on average. BLS counts roughly 107,030 software developers jobs in Washington.
Mean and median are close, so pay is relatively concentrated around $171,040. Entry-level roles (10th percentile) report about $171,040; experienced workers at the 90th percentile report about $171,040 — a 0% spread from bottom to top. Figures are employer-reported wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — not self-reported survey averages — so they are the right baseline for offers, raises, and relocation decisions in this market.
How Computer and Mathematical Careers Are Structured
Computer and mathematical occupations have spent two decades among the fastest-growing and best-paid fields in the labor data, though growth has become more uneven recently as AI tools change what junior technical work looks like. Note that the wages here exclude equity compensation, which at larger technology companies can add 20-50% on top of the reported figures — the true top of this market is higher than any government survey shows.
The wage tables and percentile chart on this page show how software developers pay is distributed in Washington specifically — and because state-level wages for the same occupation routinely differ by 30% or more, the local figures here are the ones that matter for offers, raises, and relocation decisions in this market.
What Moves Pay in This Field
Specialization and employer type drive the spread. Workers at software-product companies earn meaningfully more than those doing the same job in non-tech industries, and scarce specialties (machine learning, security, distributed systems) command premiums over generalist roles. Geography still matters despite remote work: pay bands anchored to major tech hubs remain 20-40% above national norms.
Formal degree requirements are weaker here than in any other professional field — demonstrated skill substitutes for credentials more readily, and self-taught and bootcamp routes remain viable, though the bar has risen. The percentile range on this page is wide; treat the 75th percentile, not the median, as the realistic mid-career target in strong markets.
New to reading wage distributions? Our guide to salary percentiles explains how to place yourself on the chart above, and the negotiation playbook shows how to use these numbers in an actual conversation.
Critical Worker ShortageBright Outlook
Software Developers is experiencing a critical labor shortage. Employers are actively competing for qualified candidates.
What Do Software Developers Do?
Professional in software developers
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Code: 15-1252
Software Developers pay in Washington
In Washington, software developers report a median of $171,040 (about $82.23/hour) across roughly 107,030 jobs. The local pay band runs from about $171,040 at the 10th percentile to $171,040 at the 90th.
Compared with the national distribution, local industry mix and cost of living are the main reasons Washington wages for this occupation sit where they do — toggle Regional Price Parity on this page to see purchasing-power-adjusted pay.
Income reality check
The median salary for Software Developers in Washington of $171,040 falls in the Wealthy band of this framework - roughly ~18% of the U.S. population and ~2.5% of the global population sit in this band.
Illustrative relative standing for education only - this ladder is a simplified framework, not an official Census, BLS, or World Bank statistical series. Salary figures on Wage Atlas come from official BLS OEWS data.
Salary Overview
Salary Distribution & Your Position
Advance Your Career
Ready to level up? Find courses, certifications, and coaching to boost your salary potential.
AI Replacement Risk Analysis
Forward-looking analysis of automation and AI impact
- Knowledge-based work - moderate automation risk
- AI augmentation likely, full replacement less likely
Includes risk scoring, timeline estimates, adaptation strategies, and more
Occupation Report Card
Job Outlook 2023-2033
Official BLS Employment Projections for Software Developers
Skills & What You Do
Most occupations require a bachelor's degree; some require advanced degrees
- Design, build, and maintain software applications
- Analyze user needs and software requirements
- Test and debug programs
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams
Top Industries for Software Developers
| $161,980 | $165,321 | $78 | 701,960 | |
| $156,760 | $135,680 | $75 | 206,900 | |
| $145,230 | $135,460 | $70 | 167,990 | |
| $142,768 | $132,605 | $69 | 1,912,250 |
Related Occupations
| $184,127 | $191,320 | $89 | 3,976,160 | |
SOC: 11-2032 • 76% match | $162,075 | $164,760 | $78 | 409,110 |
SOC: 11-2011 • 76% match | $153,668 | $154,280 | $74 | 101,930 |
SOC: 11-3131 • 76% match | $144,682 | $148,370 | $70 | 251,140 |
| Find Training and Development Managers Jobs | ||||
SOC: 11-1021 • 79% match | $134,649 | $134,530 | $65 | 18,506,210 |
SOC: 29-1141 • 77% match | $101,837 | $101,600 | $49 | 21,900,490 |
Related Occupations
Explore similar occupations and career paths:
Software Developers in Other States
Compare salaries for this occupation across different states:
Explore More Data for Software Developers
Career Advancement Strategy
Explore Similar Careers
Related Metrics
Viewing: Software Developers (SOC: 15-1252)
Embed this data
Add this salary widget to your site - free to use.
<iframe src="https://wageatlas.com/embed/salary/software-developers/washington" width="100%" height="320" style="border:0;max-width:480px" loading="lazy" title="Salary widget by Wage Atlas"></iframe>