Computer programmers
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Computer programmers in the United States earn a median salary of $100,390 per year — about $48 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 121K people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of -6%.
AI & Automation Risk
The core tasks of writing, testing, and debugging code are entirely digital and align perfectly with the strengths of Large Language Models, which are already highly proficient in these domains. The BLS specifically projects a decline in this occupation due to automation and AI, as these tools allow fewer workers to produce the same volume of code and shift higher-level logic to software developers.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, ARBEST VALUE | $136,880 | Below avg (91.4) | $149,836 |
| Boulder, CO | $155,030 | Above avg (105.2) | $147,364 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $154,920 | Above avg (110.4) | $140,297 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $141,920 | Average (102.7) | $138,127 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | $131,960 | Average (101.9) | $129,553 |
| Bend, OR | $132,280 | Above avg (103.6) | $127,675 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $125,240 | Average (100.3) | $124,808 |
| Iowa City, IA | $113,590 | Below avg (91.5) | $124,130 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT Metropolitan Statistical Area | $130,790 | Above avg (106.9) | $122,389 |
| Visalia, CA | $121,710 | Average (99.8) | $121,923 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $132,850 | Above avg (109.9) | $120,887 |
| Greenville, NC | $106,770 | Below avg (88.4) | $120,778 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $134,130 | Above avg (111.9) | $119,880 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $130,390 | Above avg (108.9) | $119,751 |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | $107,850 | Below avg (90.3) | $119,402 |