Computer Programmers

The average starting salary for college graduates with bachelor's degrees in computer science was $72,843 in 2023, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

The U.S. Department of Labor reports the median annual salary for computer programmers was $99,700 in May 2023. The lowest paid 10 percent of programmers earned less than $58,950 annually, and at the other end of the pay scale, the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $167,230. Fifty percent of computer programmers earned between $74,610 and $129,650.

Software publishers; scientific research and development services firms; and securities, commodity, and other financial investment firms tend to pay their programmers higher wages than do other types of employers, such as schools and state government agencies.

Most programmers receive paid vacation and sick leave and are included in such company benefits as group insurance and retirement benefit plans.