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Median pay
$133,080
Median annual pay for Software Developer.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024
Strong long-term economics, but entry-level work is being reshaped faster than the occupation overall.
Strong long-term economics, but entry-level work is being reshaped faster than the occupation overall.
The measurable baseline is $133,080 median pay, 15.8% projected employment change from 2024 to 2034, and about 115,200 annual openings. Those figures establish the national baseline; the occupation-specific evidence on this page is what makes the decision more useful than a generic profile.
The national median-pay figure in the current ChooseField dataset is $133,080. The 2024 self-employed share is 1.6%, which matters because self-employment can make outcomes less uniform across workers. A national median is a benchmark, not a personal forecast: experience, geography, employer type, specialty, credentials, and hours can move actual compensation materially.
BLS data in the ChooseField corpus put 2024 employment at 1,693,800 and projected 2034 employment at 1,961,400. That corresponds to 15.8% projected growth over the decade. BLS projects about 115,200 openings per year, including growth and replacement demand. This distinction matters when people ask whether a field is oversaturated: growth measures whether the occupation itself is getting larger, while annual openings also reflect people retiring, changing occupations, or leaving roles that must be refilled.
BLS lists the typical entry education as Bachelor's degree. Treat this entry path like an investment: compare the time and cost required to enter with the pay, annual openings, and alternatives available at a similar training level.
Long-term demand remains strong. The headline figure is 15.8%. BLS projects strong employment growth for software developers through 2034. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024–2034).
Pay remains high. The headline figure is $133,080. Median annual wage for software developers in May 2024. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2024).
The warning sign is early-career employment. The headline figure is -19%. Stanford found workers ages 22–25 in highly AI-exposed occupations below the employment trajectory of less-exposed peers, with software development among the clearest examples. Source: Stanford Digital Economy Lab (2026 analysis).
AI is already normal in development. The headline figure is 84%. Respondents using or planning to use AI tools in their development process. Source: Stack Overflow Developer Survey (2025).
Developers do not blindly trust AI. The headline figure is 46% distrust vs 33% trust. More developers distrust AI-tool accuracy than trust it. Source: Stack Overflow Developer Survey (2025).
New-grad pay is still strong. The headline figure is $81,535. Projected average starting salary for Class of 2026 computer-science bachelor's graduates. Source: NACE (Class of 2026).
The evidence is more nuanced than a yes/no replacement prediction. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that BLS projects strong employment growth for software developers through 2034. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that Median annual wage for software developers in May 2024. Stanford Digital Economy Lab reports that Stanford found workers ages 22–25 in highly AI-exposed occupations below the employment trajectory of less-exposed peers, with software development among the clearest examples. Stack Overflow Developer Survey reports that Respondents using or planning to use AI tools in their development process. Stack Overflow Developer Survey reports that More developers distrust AI-tool accuracy than trust it. ChooseField therefore treats AI as a force changing tasks and hiring patterns, not as a single probability that the occupation disappears.
The strongest reason not to reduce this field to a simple yes/no verdict is the split between long-term demand and early-career conditions. BLS still projects strong growth, while the Stanford evidence in this brief points to weaker employment trajectories for young workers in highly AI-exposed occupations, including software development. That is evidence for a changing entry market, not evidence that the occupation disappears.
This field is a stronger fit if you are willing to keep skills current as tools change and you are comfortable separating long-run demand from the difficulty of landing the first role.
Before choosing Software Developer, compare it with Cybersecurity Analyst, Data Scientist, Computer Systems Analyst. The purpose is not to find a universal winner; it is to see how pay, training time, annual openings, work setting, and field-specific risks change when you move to an adjacent option.
Strong long-term economics, but entry-level work is being reshaped faster than the occupation overall. The measurable baseline is $133,080 median pay, 15.8% projected 2024–34 employment change, about 115,200 annual openings, and a typical entry path of Bachelor's degree.
BLS projects 15.8% employment change from 2024 to 2034 and about 115,200 openings per year. Growth and openings are different signals, so the field-specific evidence on this page should also be considered.
The evidence is more nuanced than a yes/no replacement prediction. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that BLS projects strong employment growth for software developers through 2034. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that Median annual wage for software developers in May 2024. Stanford Digital Economy Lab reports that Stanford found workers ages 22–25 in highly AI-exposed occupations below the employment trajectory of less-exposed peers, with software development among the clearest examples. Stack Overflow Developer Survey reports that Respondents using or planning to use AI tools in their development process. Stack Overflow Developer Survey reports that More developers distrust AI-tool accuracy than trust it. ChooseField therefore treats AI as a force changing tasks and hiring patterns, not as a single probability that the occupation disappears.
The national median in the current ChooseField dataset is $133,080. Treat that as a benchmark rather than an expected starting salary; actual compensation varies by experience, location, employer, specialty, credentials, and hours.
National pay and employment projections come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Other sources are linked on their cards.